L i v e Die L o v e
by MinakoTaco
Summary: LOL what is this? I dont even- anyway. Going through P3P in Minako's POV. 3rd person writing. Spoiler warning for later chapters and what not. CANNON PARINGS SUPPORTED  Minako/Shinji   Junpei/Chidori  possible  Akihiko/Mitsuru
1. How it all began

_Greetings and welcome ladies!_

_**Junpei: **-ahem- _

_ Oh... well... you're just my co-host for the first chapter, so stfu, you dont count._

_**Junpei: **D Dude, not cool!_

_Anyway! GREETINGS! This is my first Persona fan fic. I'm writing this AS I am playing P3P for the 3rd, yes 3rd, time through. I will be quoting the game and adding things here and there as I see fit. There is no promise on consistency for when I post new chapters, I must warn you. But I'm too obsessed with Persona to forget about it like I did with Avalon Code... I'm still really sorry about that. I'll get back to it eventually so dont kill me! D:_

___BUT! This chapter has to go out to my Aigis. :3 she was the one who said it was a good idea. And even though I'm regretting the idea already, there's no turning back now! So you know, reviews do encourage me to continue... Junpei take it away._

_****__Junpei:__ And Now, all you lovely ladies - and any gentlemen who decide to read this for some odd reason - Please enjoy the first chapter!_

* * *

_(4/6)__EVENING_

The train ride to Iwatodai was very long and boring. She'd been sitting on her ass for so long that it was going numb. She could have sworn she'd been staring at the same 'and' on the page of the book she was trying to read for the past half hour. If it weren't for the music blasting in her ears, she would have gone mad with boredom by now.

It was the City's new passenger train, call the "Anehazuru." It was a pretty comfortable ride, but she kinda wished things would hurry along. It was probably the third play through of the playlist on her MP3 player. Tearing her eyes away from the page of the book she'd been stuck on for a long boring time, she gazed out the window. The sky was pretty dark – it was really late.

There was a slight crackeling from the speakers in the car as the conductor spoke to the passengers. The brunette took her headphones off for a moment to listen. "Due to a malfunction in the switching system, today's rail schedule has been greatly altered. We apologize to any customers who were in a hurry. The next stop is Iwatodai…"

Putting her headphones back on once again, the brunette girl stood, turning to grab her bag and pull out the pamphlet with the address of where she was going. There was a slight screeching as the monorail came to a halt at the station. Along with two other people on the train, she walked to the doors and waited for them to open before stepping off.

"Iwatodai," the conductor announced on the train again to confirm the stop to passengers who weren't really there.

To those who would be waiting for that train to arrive, another announcement came on the speakers of the station. "This is the final train bound for Tatsumi Port Island. Please take care to board before our departure." There were maybe three or four people boarding at that moment, but other than that, everything was deserted.

With a sigh, the brunette looked around, and then to the address on the paper in her hands. It wasn't that far of a walk…or so it seemed. Taking a glance at the clock on her MP3 player, the girl rolled her eyes, "Great, almost midnight. I hope the doors aren't locked." She also hoped they didn't think she was a burglar and try to attack her from behind with a bat while she's trying to fumble around in the dark. That always ended badly too.

Just as her MP3 player hit twelve midnight, it died. She was just about to comment on it when all the other lights in the station seemed to dim. All electronics seemed to shut down and an eerie green tint settled down over everything. The air itself seemed to change, grow a little heavier. The brunette pulled off her, now silent, headphones and looked around as she headed for the exit. It was all giving her a bad feeling, so she decided she'd hurry to the dorm before she stopped to worry about it.

As she walked from the station something caught her eye. Looking over to the cross walks and the sidewalks, the streets were littered with coffins. Even cars on the street seemed completely still – not even running. It was odd indeed. "What the hell…?" Looking up to the sky, she was startled by the size of the moon – was it always so large? It wasn't it's usual white glow, but an eerie off-yellow color, casting it's strange glow on the green-tinted world below it. Which only seemed to help her notice the …blood stains? What appeared to be blood was all over the ground in puddles, some small, some large. All was bright and red, giving an even worse feel to the strange happenings going on.

Feeling rather nervous about walking around a city full of coffins and bloodstains, the brunette hurried through the streets, following the directions she'd looked up in advance to the dorm. Upon reaching the dorm, she paused, checking the address with the one on the pamphlet before entering. Taking a look around it was a pretty nice place… At least there werent any bloodstains inside the dorm…

"Welcome," a young boy's voice called

The brunette turned, looking around, only to spot a small boy behind the counter to the left of the front door. Short, black, messy hair decorated his head, making his pale skin stand out more. He had bright blue eyes – a beautiful shade that really stood out compared to his dark hair. He was garbed in black and white stripped pajamas that looked almost a little too big for him, and nothing more. A sweet smile decorated his face, his eyes locked on the brunette at the doorway.

"You're late. I've been waiting a long time."

"Oh, r-really? Sorry…?" Minako didn't know who this kid was, but maybe he was living at the dorm too and was waiting for her to arrive.

The boy giggled and walked around the counter to stand before her, that same innocent smile on his face the whole time. "If you want to proceed, please sign here. It's a contract," he said as he motioned to a paper on the counter. A pen lay next to it, all set up for her to autograph the 'contract' he was speaking of, "There's no need to be scared. It only binds you to accepting full responsibility for your actions."

Was that really it?

The girl took a look at the paper, stepping up to the counter to make sure she was reading it correctly. Just as the boy had said, the contract said only one thing; "I chooseth this fate of mine own free will." Below that was nothing more than a blank line where she was to sign her name. Since it didn't secretly say something like 'I forfeit my right to live and give the little creepy boy permission to chop me into little pieces', she decided that signing the contract couldn't hurt. What was the worst that could happen? Taking the pen in hand, the brunette signed her name at the bottom; "Minako Arisato"

With a seemingly brighter smile, he picked up the contract in the thin booklet it was encased in, closing it and holding it to his chest. "…Very well," he began, the smile staring to fall from his face. "Time is something no one can escape. It delivers us all to the same end. Wishing wont make it go away. And so it begins…"

The small boy then seemed to disappear into the darkness, vanishing from sight. Minako was left to wonder what the heck all that was – but wasn't given much time to do so.

"…Who's there?" Another voice called out. Minako turned to look down the hallway to see a girl at the mouth of it, half hidden in the shadow cast down the hall. Stepping out, the light-brunette was able to see the girl at the entrance looking rather confused. It was easy to see that this strange girl was nervous and on edge, not only that, but she was really surprised to see Minako in the doorway for some reason. "How can you be…But it's…! Don't tell me…" Her expression suddenly got serious as her grip tightened on the thing in her hands…

Looking down to see what it was she was holding, Minako was startled to see a gun.

…

Wait a second – a gun? So instead of a metal bat to dodge it was a bullet? She was not Neo! She couldn't bend backwards and wave her arms in slo-mo and magically dodge the bullets because everything seemed to go way to slow to her. She was pretty sure a bullet was faster than her.

Well fuck.

"Wait!" another voice called suddenly. A redheaded mature looking girl walked up next to the edgy brunette girl in the pink shirt.

The girl in the pink shirt jumped, whipping her head around to look at the one who'd called out to her. Yeah, she'd been startled.

But then suddenly the eerie green tint to the world was gone, and the lights came back on. The headphones Minako had taken off and draped over her shoulders suddenly blared music, coming to life once again. Looking down at them oddly, she raised an eyebrow. Okay, so maybe her MP3's battery _didn't_ die.

That was nice.

The girl in the pink shirt looked around, relieved, "…The lights!"

Patting the pink-shirted girl on the shoulder, the redheaded, mature-looking girl stepped forward, addressing the newcomer, "I didn't think you'd arrive so late."

"Oh, sorry. The train ran late…so…" Minako shrugged, taking a moment to pause her music so she wouldn't waste battery. "It wasn't intentional."

The redheaded one nodded, "My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm."

Minako nodded in greeting – at least she didn't get shot, that was the highlight of the day.

The pink shirted girl had put away the gun and was now throwing a look at the redheaded girl named Mitsuru. "Who's she?"

Mitsuru smiled, seeming to assure the other girl that everything was fine. "She's a transfer student, it was a last minuet decision to assign her here. She'll eventually be moved to a room in the normal dorm."

Ms. Pink-shit didn't seem convinced, "…Is it okay for her to be here?"

_Yeah, like some swat team of monsters was about to break down the front door and maul us all._ Minako rolled her eyes as she thought to her self.

Mitsuru only smiled again, shaking her head a bit, the perfect curl that hung over her shoulder barely moving at all with the movement of her head. "I guess we'll see…" Turning her attention to Minako once more, she motioned to the paranoid pink shirt with her hand, "This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a Junior this year, just like you."

-shirt still looked like she was paranoid about the whole thing. What, did she have people out to get her or something? "…Hi, I'm Yukari"

With a nod and a slight smile, Minako answered, "Nice to meet you. I'm Minako Arisato."

It was then and only then that Pink-shirt's – I mean – Yukari's paranoia seemed to vanish. "Uh, y-yeah…Nice to meet you too," she answered with a smile finally coming to her face.

Taking command of the conversation again, Mitsuru spoke up. "It's getting late, you'll find your room on the third floor. Your things should already be there. I suggest you tuck in for the night."

What was she, four? Minako knew when it was bed time.

"Oh…I'll show you the way. Follow me," Yukari offered. Now that the 'oh my God who are you I'm gonna shoot you' moment had passed, it looked like they were actually going to become friends. Hey, it was better than getting shot at if she came back late again before being moved to a ….normal dorm.

Normal dorm… did that mean the didn't have guns? That would be nice.

Yukari lead Minako all the way up to the third floor, and then all the way down to the last door on the right down the hallway. Stopping in front of the door, Yukari motioned to it with her hand "This is it…Pretty easy to remember, huh? …Since it's right at the end of the hall." She laughed a bit, as if to make light of the slightly tense air between them. After a second she seemed to notice that it wasn't going away, "So, and questions?"

There were plenty of things that she wanted to ask – especially why Yukari had a gun when she first came in. Did the dorm get attacked by yankees a lot or something? Was this a bad part of town? And what was with all that crap she'd seen on her way over? But instead of asking all that crap that could take hours to answer completely, Minako settled for; "Does that boy live here?" Since she was tired and wanted to head to bed soon.

Yukari threw her an odd look, like she was talking about something weird. "What are you talking about? …C'mon, it's not funny."

So the question managed to answer only two things. One; Yukari got creeped out easily, and two; Minako had apparently been hallucinating when she'd talked to that cute but creepy little boy in the entryway of the dorm.

Wonderful.

"Um… Can I ask you something?" Yukari began, interrupting Minako's little contemplation on whether she was losing it yet or not. "On your way here form the station…was everything okay?"

"What do you mean?" Did she mean the creepy blood everywhere? The coffins? Or maybe the gigantic eerie moon that was a little too close for comfort? Or was there something else that she hadnt seen on the way over that Yuakri was referring to?

The light-brunette looked hesitant when replying, "You know what I –" She paused, unsure if she should finish that sentence. "…Never mind. It seems like you're all right. Well, I'd better get going…" She turned, starting to walk off probably towards her room, but then thought better of it and turned back for one last word to the newcomer, "Um… I'm sure you still have other questions, but let's save them for later, okay? Good night." Rather than walking off to her own room, she headed downstairs.

Probably to talk to that Mitsuru girl.

Turning back to the door, Minako opened it and walked inside. Her things were indeed there already, waiting for her like the good little inanimate objects they were. Dropping her school bag by her other things as she closed the door and walked to her bed, Minako didn't even bother undressing, she kicked off her shoes and fell on the mattress. Not even a minuet after her head hit the pillow, she passed out.

_(4/7) __EARLY MORNING_

The morning seemed to come all too soon, but once Minkao was awake, she was up for the day – and that was that. She'd gotten up, washed her face, changed her clothes to her uniform. She was just finishing putting her hair up when there was a knock at her door. Taking a glance over, Minako put the last clip in her hair and walked to answer the door.

"It's Yukari. Are you awake?" Yukari's voice called through the door just as Minako reached it. The door was then opened to a more cheerful looking Yukari, "Good morning. Did you sleep okay? Mitsuru-senpai asked me to take you to school. Are you ready to go?"

With the way she was talking, it was as if she had never been about to shoot Minako the night before out of nerves.

With a smile, Minako nodded her head, "Totally!"

She was all too eager to return that smile with one of her own, "Okay. Then let's go."

Yukari lead her down the stairs and out the front doors of the dorm. It was a nice morning, the sky was bright and sunny. There were other students walking from other nearby dorms, but not many. The walk to the Iwatodai station was accompanied with Yukari's commentary about the neighborhood and what was near by, like the convenience store and what not.

The wait for the train wasn't long at all – it seemed like things were back on schedule unlike last night. Boarding, the train was only moderately crowded it wasn't like there was no sitting room, but Yukari and Minako stood anyway, watching the scenery pass by the window as they spoke to one another.

"We have to take the monorail to get there. Bet your last school wasn't like that, huh?" Yukari began, smiling the whole while. Suddenly, her face seemed to brighten, "This is my favorite part…when it feels like you're gliding over the sea." A look out the window gave a lovely view of the ocean, the light of the sun sparkling off the surface of the water. "Our stop is Port Island Station at the end of the line. From there, we walk. Have you ever heard of Tatsumi Port Island?" She waited long enough for Minako to shake her head 'no', "It's a man-made island. They built our school right in the middle. Oh look! You can see it now!" Pointing out the window, both girls looked to see the white building just off in the distance as the monorail pulled up to the station.

It wasn't all that far to walk to get to the school, and there were so many other students walking around, chatting with their friends. Things seemed a lot more lively now. A few students were looking their way as they walked, but Yukari didn't seem to notice, so Minako decided not to make a comment on it.

"Mornin'!" a female student called to Yukari, waving as she passed.

"Morning!" she called back with a wave before turning to Minako as they reached the gates, "Well, here we are…Welcome to Gekkoukan High! You're gonna love it here!"

Minako smiled, happy to see someone so enthusiastically welcome her to the school. They walked onto the school grounds from there, entering through the front doors and to the shoe lockers where they changed their shoes. After they got that taken care of, the two stepped out of the way for the other students.

"You're okay from here, right?" Yukari asked, looking at Minako, "You should go see your homeroom teacher first. The Faculty Office is right there to the left…And that concludes the tour. Do you have any questions before I go?" Apparently she had some stuff she had to go do before school started.

Minako looked around for a moment, "Where's my classroom?" If she knew the room, then she'd probably know who her homeroom teacher was, right?

The brunette shrugged, "I think they're posted on the bulletin board, but I havent checked yet either." Then that easy-going look to her face disappeared and she looked nervous again. Oh God Minako hoped she didn't have that gun again – not at school please. "Hey…About last night… Don't tell anyone what you saw, Okay? …See ya later."

Okay, false alarm.

Minako walked over to the bulletin board. It was crowded with other students looking for their class – probably checking to see if other friends would be in their class as well. Minako looked and looked, only to frown as she was unable to find her name on the board. She tried looking again, but it was still missing. She was about to give up when she spotted a small note stuck to the side of the board with her name on it; "Minako Arisato – Class F." Looking at the list for class F, Minako also noticed the name 'Yukari Takeba' on the list. With a slight smile she turned away from the board. At least there would be someone she knew in the class.

Wandering down the hall that Yukari had pointed out, Minako paused a moment when she saw a teacher wearing a Sengoku Era Helm on his head. That was rather…odd. That, and he was talking rather energetically with a blonde foreign student. Shrugging it off, Minako entered the Faculty Office, looking around before a young woman called her over.

She was tall, wearing a pastel-ish pink dress suit. Her hair was short and light brown, like Yukari's. "Oh are you the new student? Minako Arisato…11th grade, correct?" She flipped through a few papers on a clip board she had on her – which was apparently Minako's file, "Wow, you've lived in a lot of different places…Let's see in 1999… that was what, ten years ago? Your parents - -" She gasped, putting the papers back, looking a bit sad, "I'm sorry… I've been so busy, I didn't have time to read this before hand. I'm Ms. Toriumi, I teach Composition. Welcome to our school."

Honestly it didn't bother Minako that she'd almost brought up the fact that her parents were dead. She'd lived with it for ten years, it wouldn't kill her to have someone point out the obvious. "I'm pleased to meet you."

's face seemed to light up as she smiled, "My, aren't you polite? Girls like you should be an example for others. Have you seen the classroom assignments? You're in 2-F; that's my class. But first, we need to go to the auditorium. The Welcoming Ceremony will be starting soon. Follow me." With the teacher already taking a shine to Minako, she lead the transfer student out of the Faculty Office and to the auditorium. Ms. Toriumi pointed out a seat for her and had Minako sit down as she went to go sit with the teachers.

The principal soon took the podium and began his speech, "As you begin the new school year, I'd like each of you to remember the proverb, "If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well." When applied to student life, this means…" This guy apparently had no skills in public speaking, but really enjoyed to hear himself talk. He droned on and on, and the tone of his voice made it difficult to pay attention without getting sleepy.

It wasn't too far into the speech when Minako could hear students nearby chatting. At first she just heard two boy's whispering to one another.

"I heard we got a transfer student."

"Yep, I've seen her too," the other replied, "She came to school with Yukari."

The tone of his voice seemed to imply that seeing her and Yukari walking to school made a party in his pants.

Um…ew?

A rather snobby-looking teacher with a voice to math spoke up then, "I hear talking. I believe it's someone in Ms. Toriumi's class…"

Ms. Toriumi was not happy to hear that – and maybe it also had something to do with her not liking the teacher who spoke up. "Shhh! Be quiet! You're going to get me in trouble!" she scolded the students.

However, only more chattering seemed to follow, more rumors spreading around. Here and there Minako picked up the word 'transfer student', making her face grow red to hear she was the hot topic of the morning. Slouching in her seat a bit she tried not to be noticed…

_AFTER SCHOOL_

Homeroom had finally ended, so the afternoon lesson was going to start after the break. Minako leaned back in her seat. Introducing herself to the class at the beginning of Homeroom had had her stomach in a fit of butterflies. She was almost afraid that if she tried to speak they'd all see the opening and fly right out her mouth.

"'Sup dude?" a voice called, making her jump. Minako turned her head to the right to look at a kid in a blue baseball cap. He was grinning and laughing, "Haha, you look like a deer in headlights."

_Oh, sorry, thought you were some sort of creeper, that's all._ Minako shrugged off the thought, "Who are you?"

The kid looked at her as if he hadn't been expecting her to ask….dumbass. "Me? I'm Junpei Iori, Nice to meet ya," he answered, suddenly all grins and smiles again, "I transferred here when I was in 8th grade. I know how tough it is being the new kid…So I thought I'd check up on you, make sure you weren't freaking out on your first day."

Minako was just about to open her mouth to reply with a thanks and all that when she was interrupted before she even began by – you guessed it – Yukari.

It started with a long exaggerated sigh as she walked in on the conversation. "At it again, huh? Honestly, is there any girl you _wouldn't_ hit on?" she remarked rather coldly. "Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?"

Speaking from experience, Yukari?

"What?" Junpei looked at her surprised. Now who looked like a deer in headlights? "But I was just being friendly."

The brunette rolled her eyes, "If you say so. Anyway, some coincidence that we'd be in the same homeroom, huh?" she said as she turned her attention to Minako, a smile on her face.

"I'm glad to have a friend." Minako responded with a smile of her own.

Yukari looked confused for a moment, "A friend? Oh… you mean me. Yeah I…I'm glad we ended up in the same class too."

Junpei apparently didn't like being left out of the loop. "Um, hello? Did you forget I'm in this class too? C'mon, let me in on the fun!" he complained – which was kind of amusing in it's own way. "By the way, do you guys know each other? I heard you two came to school this morning. A couple of cuties walking to school side by side… the whole class was buzzing about you."

Oh…joy.

It seemed Yukari had the same opinion on that comment from Junpei, because she didn't look all that happy at all. "Ugh… could you just cut it out? I hate dealing with rumors like that. I mean, I'm used to it, but she just got here, you know? Don't you feel bad, spreading rumors like that?" She pinched the bridge of her nose for a second before shaking her head, trying to get rid of the rising urge to probably smack Junpei with his own hat. "Well I've gotta go take care of some archery team stuff. Don't try anything funny, you got that, Junpei?" She threw him a slight glare before heading out of the room for that 'archery team stuff' she had to go do.

There was a disbelieving look on Junpei's face as he watched Yukari storm off to do whatever. "What is she, your nanny…? Well just to clear something up, I seriously didn't come over here to hit on you or anything. If you ever have a problem, you can tell your ol' pal Junpei about it!" Once again he was grinning. Minako got the feeling that he was a very…carefree guy, able to smile at almost any time, and took little to nothing seriously.

"I'll remember that," she answered happily. Two friends in once day – talk about nice.

"Heh, cool. Well, I'll be seeing you around, then."

So Junpei went off to do some stuff, and after noon classes started up after that – or something like that. First day of school was always the same, no work really, but lectures on what the year would have in store for them, getting them their classes and what not, and picking up P.E. uniforms. So since all that stuff was boring, Minako put her headphones on.

Thank God for music.

After school let out, Minako was heading to the school gates when Junpei caught up with her. There was a short toss of words where he easily convinced her to let him walk her back to the dorm. Since she hardly remembered the way there, there was no harm in having someone used to the area giving her some assistance in accurately remembering the route back to the dorm.

They were just barely reaching the gates when a group of students in P.E. uniforms went jogging by. "Woah, check out the jocks on the run…" Junpei commented with a slight chuckle, "Hey, did anyone tell you about the school clubs yet? Girls can join too, so why not do it if you're interested? You'd be joining as a new member though, so you wouldn't be able to apply for a little while."

"Really? Sounds neat – I'll look into it," Minako replied with a smile. "Are you in any sports, Iori-kun?"

Junpei looked at Minako funny as they continued walking to the station, "Dude, just call me 'Junpei', and nah, I'm not in any sports. I'm not really into that kinda thing, ya' know?"

"Ah, okay."

It was quite easy to make small talk with Junpei on the way back to the dorm. He even pointed out some of the places by Iwatodai station to her, like Hagakure Ramen, Wild Duck Burger, the Takoyaki stand, and even the Book On; Manga Café.

_EVENING_

Mitsuru welcomed Minako back when she entered through the front doors of the dorm. She was seated on the larger couch, with a book on her lap. Of course her attention was on Minako, a slight smile to her face. "You really shouldn't be outside on your own at night. It's too dangerous. Anyway, you must be tired. You should get a good night's rest."

"Oh, okay," Minako answered with a nod. Wandering through the lounge, she entered the dining room. Yukari was sitting at the table, idly flipping through a magazine. Walking up behind her, Minako peered over her shoulder to see it was a fashion magazine.

Yukari seemed to notice someone looming over her and turned to look over her shoulder at the darker-brunette. "Oh, hi. What're you doing?"

Minako shrugged, "Nothing."

With the way she reacted to that, one would thing that Yukari was expecting Minako to ask her some questions or something. "…Oh. You're probably pretty tired, huh? Maybe you should go to bed early tonight."

Was everyone trying to get rid of her or something? With a sigh and a shrug, Minako parted from Yukari, "Yeah, I suppose," waving over her shoulder at Yukari, she headed for the stairs, "See you tomorrow morning then." Then there was the super exciting hike up two flights of stairs, and the trek down the hall and into her room. Deciding to spend a bit more time with the awake world, she unpacked a few of her things, making the room look a bit more lived in before she changed into her pajamas and crawled into her bed.

_(4/8) __EARLY MORNING_

The next morning, Minako walked to school by herself. Apparently the rumors did more to her than they bother Minako. Maybe she'd have to ask Yukari why they didn't walk to school together later. Either she was avoiding the rumors…or she had some more 'archery team stuff' to take care of. As she reached the gates, she paused, overhearing a few students gossiping.

"Did you hear the rumor…?" one girl started.

"Oh, um, something about…a bathroom?" the other replied.

"N-No! Not that one, I mean the story about the first-year student! Not only did she stop coming to school, she does nothing but sit and stare at the walls all day. If her mother tries to talk to her, she only mutters to herself 'It's coming…it's coming…!'" the first girl answered.

"Huh. How about that."

"You don't believe me…?"

The first bell rang soon after, so Minako pushed their odd conversation aside and hurried in to change her shoes and get to class on time.

AFTERNOON

Ms. Toriumi was teaching today. She was a nice enough teacher from what it looked like, "Open your textbooks and we'll take a look at the first novel by… Zenzou Kasai… Ugh, why him?" Apparently even she was picky about the stuff she taught. Funny. "I'd rather teach Utsubo Kubota. He became famous as a singer, but he's also produced fine literature. I wonder why it's not in the textbook. We'll I'll just bring Kubota's book next time." Grumbling a bit to herself as she turned the page, the teacher did a sweep of the room with her eyes, "…Hey, Junpei! We're you listening? Who did I say was my favorite author?"

Junpei, yet again, looked like a deer in headlights. "H-Huh? U-Ummm… Psst!" Minako looked over to see Junpei casting a hesitant glance her way, "Who does she like?"

Leaning over a bit so he would hear her easier, Minako whispered back, "Utsubo Kubota." Which Junpei immediately reiterated loud enough for the teacher before he forgot it.

She looked rather surprised that he'd gotten it correct. "That's right! So you were listening to me after all!"

"Eheheh…Well, you know how I like to pay attention!" Junpei laughed. Then as the teacher turned back to the lesson and started talking again he turned to Minako with a grateful smile and whispered, "Man you saved my bacon, Minako!"

Minako smiled…and then noticed the rest of the class started whispering.

"Minako gave him the right answer…She must pay attention in class!"

Suddenly she felt so much more popular – not that she'd wanted that to begin with. Turning her attention back to the actual lesson, Minako went back to taking notes and answering questions. The lesson slowly consumed hours of the day, and eventually school was over before she knew it. Ms. Toriumi was great at explaining things in a way that made it easy to understand, so Minako had no complaints with the homework assigned.

After class had ended, Minako packed up her things and leisurely headed back to the dorm. There was really nothing else for her to do. Yukari was off to Archery practice, and Junpei had been out the door as soon as the last bell rang.

EVENING

Of course, even though Minako had left first, Yukari was already at the dorm when she got back….okay, so maybe she got a _little_ lost on her way back. It was only her second day, who could blame her? Some of her classmates had found her by the shrine a few blocks away and pointed her in the right direction, so she wasn't a complete lost cause.

Yukari was sitting on the loveseat, talking to an unfamiliar man who was in the arm chair. "Oh, she's back," she pointed out to the man.

If this guy was some sort of pedo…

The man had slightly wavy, light brown hair. He wore a turtle neck and glasses. Never mind, he looked more like a nerd than a pedo. Then again… "So, this is our new guest…Good evening. My name is Shji Ikutsuki. I'm the Chairman of the Board for your school." He smiled gently at Minako as she walked over and took a seat next to Yukari and away form the stranger danger. "'Ikutsuki' … Hard to say, isnt it? That's why I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes…I apologize about the confusion regarding your accommodations. However, it may take a while longer before you receive the proper room assignment. Is there anything you'd like to ask?"

Obviously there was one main question everyone must ask a strange man that suddenly appears in the home like quarters one lives in. "Why did you come here?" Looking for small children? I'm sure there aren't any here, nope – because that creepy little boy doesn't live here. That's it, isnt it? Yukari tattled to him about her asking about the little boy she'd seen and his pedo sences went off the charts!

…. A-Anyway.

"To welcome you, of course," he answered innocently with a smile. But Minako wasn't buying it. "Speaking of which… Where's Mitsuru, Yukari?"

"She's upstairs," Yukari answered simply. Yeah, Yukari probably didn't have a problem talking to Ikutsuki because she's too old for him…or maybe the wrong gender entirely – OH GOD.

Minako decided she should _really_ stop thinking about those kinds of things and take this seriously.

Ikutsuki chucked a bit, "As diligent as always. Although, it doesn't hurt to come down and say hello…" Turning his attention back to Minako he asked, "Do you have another question?"

Well, even though she'd basically asked Yukari already, she might as well take another approach to finding out without tipping the Pedo off, "Who else lives here?"

Ikustuki answered as if there was nothing wrong with her curiosity, "There are only four students in this dorm: You, Yukari here, Mitsuru…And a senior named Akihiko Sanada. I hope you all get along. Do you have another question?"

Okay, this was getting a little annoying. He was answering really easily, but that was a given if he was the chairman. "I saw something odd…" she began, trailing off.

"You saw something strange? … Like what?" Ikustuki asked, feigning interest in what she was supposedly going to say.

Yukari suddenly looked uneasy, like she wanted to interrupt and say it was nothing, but restrained herself. It seemed that the nervous look tipped off Ikutsuki to what Minako was talking about – something they all knew about but Minako wasn't filled in on.

"You were probably just tired. I wouldn't worry about it. It's bad for your complexion, you know."

That answer was obviously a lie. He was avoiding the subject before it would even be properly explained. They were hiding something, and Minako didn't like the uneasy feeling it gave her.

"Do you have another question?" he asked as if nothing were wrong.

"No, not really," she answered, ready to leave and get to work on her homework.

"Then, I hope you have a successful school year. Now if you'll excuse me… You must be tired from all the excitement. You should go to bed early." He suggested as he stood, "As they say, "The early bird catches the bookworm"! …Please forgive the bad pun." He chucked at his own _terrible_ joke, thinking himself to be rather humorous.

Yukari rolled her eyes, not at all finding the joke to be funny. "…. You'll get used to his lame jokes," she explained.

"I hope so…" Minako replied as she stood, "I'm gonna go get some homework done before I head to bed. See ya." Bidding Yukari farewell and waving to Ikutsuki, Minako headed up to the third floor and headed back to her room.

It was a few hours later that Minako went to bed, curling up in the covers and closing her eyes. She'd always been fast to fall asleep – dreaming was her favorite part. But this time it was different. She could hear something…a voice? Yes, it was a voice, calling to her. "…Master…Master Minako Arisato…"

Suddenly it was as if she was flying. She could see a checkered floor passing beneath her, black and white tiles making up the floor as she was slowed and set down just as a door at the end of the mysterious floor opened before her. Curiously walking inside, the door shut behind her, making her turn. Okay, this was starting out something like Alice in Wonderland mixed with a slight horror twinge to it. The room was … well it looked like an indigo room – the shade lingering more towards a blue appeal, with a metal backing that had a rather large clock. It kind of looked like large elevator, with a comfortable room built inside for the residents. There were five doors, two on her left and right, and one behind her. There was a table in the center of the room, along with a love sofa on one side, and a single chair on the other side. The chair was closest to her, so Minako walked over and took a seat.

It was then that she saw the other resident of the room. He was a creepy looking man with wide eyes and a long – like _really_ long – nose. He was missing a lot of his hair and looked like a real creep. He was short, wearing a suit, and seated on the couch on the other side of the table form her. "Welcome to the Velvet Room. My name is Igor. …I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

Shit, this dude even spoke like a creep. She could feel the shiver run up her spine. What was with all the creeps? Maybe transferring to Gekkoukan was a bad idea.

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter…Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place..." the creepy man named Igor explained. He motioned to the paper on the table, and when Minako leaned forward to try and get a better look, she could see that it was the contract that cute-but-creepy little boy had asked her to sign.

So she hadn't been hallucinating. Well that was swell.

"Henceforth, you shall be welcome here in the Velvet Room," Igor began again, "You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so. I only ask one thing in return…that you abide by the contract and assume responsibility for the choices you make."

This was a little creepy…well more like a hell of a lot of weird, "I understand," Minako answered. She didn't think she'd come here often…but it seemed like something that might be useful for when she needed it. Now…if he would just tell her was his 'services' were.

And if it had _ANYTHING_ to do with him and something 'R' rated…

"Hold onto this…" Suddenly there was a key on the table before her. When it got there she had no idea – but hey, this place was like a dream, so weird shit was bound to happen right? Leaning forward again, Minako picked it up and looked at it. It had a little label on it…'Velvet Key'.

Oh, okay.

"There is still one more resident of this room, who could unfortunately could not be present for your arrival," Igor pointed out, which made Minako hope he didn't have a twin brother hidden some where in the attic….if there even was one. "But I'll make sure you two are properly introduced. Another time, perhaps. 'Till we meet again…"

_(4/9) __EARLY MORNING_

Minako sat up in her bed suddenly. What the heck had… Looking up, she noticed the sun was lighting up her window. It was morning, and time to get ready for school. Scratching her head through her bed-head-hair, Minako wondered what the heck was up with that dream… only to find the Velvet Key on her desk as she was getting dressed. Okay, that was hella creepy. Stuffing it in her pocket as she grabbed her bag, she headed out the dorm and to the school, trying not to think too much on the weird dream…thing she had the previous night.

On the way she's picked up some bread for breakfast. Freshly baked melon bread. Boy, oh boy, did that stuff taste great. She didn't care if it made her seem a bit childish. She loved the stuff, so that's why she ate it.

At the school gates, Junpei caught up with her, waving as he came to a stop next to her so they could chat before class. "Yo… Man, I'm so sleepy today," He pointed out as he yawned to prove it, "In times like these, it's best to sleep during class! You ever notice how sometimes taking a nap in class makes you feel more refreshed than when sleeping at home?"

Minako laughed, it wasn't like she'd never fallen asleep in class before, "I know what you mean!"

Junpei was all grins again at her response. Maybe he'd expected her to be against the thought of sleeping in class since she paid attention. "Right? You go from dead to being completely full of energy again. It's such a great feeling." Junpei's smile faltered a bit then and he sighed, "…Then again, I'm not listening to the lecture, so I'm screwed later! Oh, but we have classic literature today… That means we're stuck with Mr. Nasty ol' Ekoda…"

MORNING

Who would have thought the mini-description given by Junpei would be so accurate. It turned out that this 'Mr. Ekoda' was that snobby teacher who had tried to get Ms. Toriumi in trouble at the opening ceremony. Minako sighed and slouched a bit in her seat. This didn't seem like it would be a good class.

"Ahem… I'm Mr. Ekoda. I'll be teaching you Classic Literature," he began, "I'll be teaching you about good old Japan all year. Some people say Classic Lit isn't relevant to everyday life, but oh, how they're wrong! The students, the other teachers… Wrong, wrong, wrong! Nobody really understands Classic Lit…"

Yeah, he sounded boring to her. Minako rolled her eyes. She already knew enough about classic literature. She didn't want some snobby teacher lecturing her about how everyone else was apparently stupid because they didn't spend all their time studying classic literature. She wondered if his wife had the same passion for it or if she just put up with it. Heck, maybe he didn't have a wife because he scared all the women off with his boring talk about classic literature.

One thing was for sure, his lecture put Minako to sleep easily.

AFTER SCHOOL

After class had ended and the students started leaving, Minako headed to the shoe boxes, only to run into Yukari there. "Oh, hey," Yukari called with a smile. She was in the middle of taking her school shoes off to switch them with her outdoor shoes.

"Hey," Minako replied, stopping at her shoe locker to switch out her shoes. "You want to walk home together, or do you have some other plans?"

Yukari laughed a bit, "Nah, I'll walk home with you. I can show you the Paulownia Mall on the way."

"Awesome."

Putting her outdoor shoes on Minako left the school grounds with Yukari. There was some idle chatter, but most of it was complaining about Mr. Ekoda and how lame his class was. That man's class was probably going to be the most painful of classes according to the stories Yukari was telling about the other teachers.

The mall – when they got there not to much later – was crowded with students on their way back from school. The shops were bustling with activity from the students – but that was mainly just the arcade. Some students were just standing around chatting with friends, and other students were sitting by the fountain in the center, cracking jokes and making plans.

"Have you come here before?" Yukari asked, seeing Minako looking around much like a tourist. Hoenstly she hadn't even taken the time to explore, "A lot of Gekkoukan students come here after school. There's a Karaoke box, and a CD shop. Oh, and a really great café, too! There's also a night club, but that's kinda not for us yet."

"Well I can imagine – just think of the kind of rumors people would start up if they saw us going in there?" Minako rolled her eyes, "They'd probably think the worst, and if the rumors spread to the teachers…." She shuddered. "Thank God Mr. Ekoda isn't our homeroom teacher…"

EVENING

Mitsuru was at the window to the left behind the counter. She looked away from whatever it was she'd been looking at when Minako and Yukari entered. "Welcome back" she called. Minako stopped to chat with her while Yukari went and took a seat on the couch. Mitsuru was happy to chat a bit, and smiled, "The moon is beautiful tonight. It might be nice to read a book by moonlight once in a while."

"Oh, that sounds nice," Minako mused, "Sitting by the window, a cup of tea to the side, a blanket around your shoulders and a good book in your lap."

Mitsuru smiled, "Ah, I see you get it."

After that the conversation somewhat died, so Minako meandered over to where Yukari was sitting. She took a seat for a moment, letting her feet rest. Yukari took the opportunity to strike up another conversation. "There used to be a dorm mother here to do stuff like cooking, but there's just us students here now. It'd be great to have somebody like that doing stuff for us, don't you think?"

So that would explain why they had to deal with dinner and breakfast on their own. "You're right," maybe then they could have a healthier menu for some meals.

"I mean, I'm not a good cook, and Mitsuru-senpai just doesn't do things like that…" She threw a look at Minako as if trying to give her a hint. But when Minako didn't say anything she just decided to come out and say it. "You know, if you're handy around the kitchen, I bet you could really do something with this place!"

Minako laughed a bit, shrugging, "Maybe, but I'm not really that great of a cook."

Well, more like she didn't want to become the slave of the dorm.

Spending some time downstairs with Yukari, the two of them did their homework for boring ol' Ekoda's class. With their combined powers, they managed to finish quickly. Bidding Yukari farewell again, Minako headed up to bed for another early night.

Sometime past midnight, there was a loud noise out front that startled Minako awake. She sat straight up in her bed, looking around the room wildly. "What the…" Throwing the covers back, Minako hopped out of bed and pulled on some actual clothes. She was going to check this out. Pulling her hair up quickly in a hair tie, she headed for the door.

Just as she was about to reach the door knob, someone knocked on it hard, startling her. Yukari's voice sounded from the other side, "Wake up!" she called. She sounded like she was in a panic, "Sorry, I'm coming in!" Minako had to jump back to avoid getting hit with her own door when it swung open. "I don't have time to explain. We have to get out of here, now!"

Minkao was pretty sure she didn't _want_ to know what the problem was if Yukari was shouting like that at her. Wasn't she worried about startling the neighbors? It was almost like they'd found a bomb in the kitchen and it was going to go off in two minuets if they didn't get out in time. "Okay!"

"Hurry! Downstairs! We'll leave through the back door!" Yukari turned to lead the way out, but then paused. "Wait! …Take this, just in case." Yukari handed her a long, thin implement…It seems to be a Naginata. Well whatever, if it worked…

Wait, was there really monsters or something? No, they were getting robbed, right? And they had to fight through a mob of thugs to get out alive? "Wait… what's- -"

"Okay, let's go! Follow me!" The two of them ran downstairs to the first floor, and then through the dining room to the back entrance to the dorm. "All right, we should be safe now - -" Yukari was interrupted by her communicater going off with a quick line of beeping. Minako couldn't hear what was being said on the other end, so she just judged it based on Yukari's reactions. "Y-Yes! I hear you!" More conversation on the other end the Minako couldn't hear… "What!" Yukari shrieked.

Okay, so apparently it was bad news.

Suddenly there was a loud pounding on the back entrance to the dorm, the ground beneath their feet trembling a bit, making the both of them jump. Yukari gasped, throwing a panicked look to Minako, "L-Let's pull back!" The two of them headed up to the second floor, looking around. Suddenly there was the sound of glass breaking. "What was that!" There was rumbling and crunching as if something large crawling over the glass and down the hall towards them, "It's getting closer!" It seemed to have heard Yukari, and the sound picked up, the thing heading towards them faster, "K-Keep moving! Hurry!" The turned and headed up the steps again. Minako took a glance over her shoulder, but all she could see was something massive and black.

Before too long, they reached the rooftop. Yukari shut the door behind them and locked it, pausing a moment to catch her breath. Finally she sighed, relieved, "The door's locked. I thing we're safe for now…" Suddenly there was some eerie sound akin to that of a roar, making the two gasp and turn to face the rooftop before them.

From the edge of the building a large black hand raised, holding up a mask. It turned back and forth, as if it could actually see with it. Which apparently it did, because once it 'saw' them, it stopped, and a whole 'nother set of hands shot up, holding a mass of swords and more hands pulled it onto the rooftop.

"You gotta be kidding me…! It climbed up the wall…!" Yukari shrieked. "That's the thing that attacked this place… We call them Shadows! O-Oh yeah… I have to fight… I … I can summon mine… No problem…" She was trying hard to keep her cool, it was easy to see she was fighting panic underneath it all. "Here goes…" she pulled her gun thing up to her forehead. Minako was about to ask her what the hell she was going to do when the shadow attacked with fire, knocking Yukari back and making her drop her gun with a cry.

Minako stared down at the gun at her feet, sitting in the small puddle of blood on the ground. Something seemed to click in the back of her head. It made sence, the gun wasn't a real gun, Yukari wasn't trying to kill herself with it, she was trying to summon something. Crouching for a second, Minako picked up the gun. Time seemed to slow then. She could see the shadow turn towards her, ready to go and attack. Placing the tip to her temple, Minako took a deep breath. "Per…so….na…"

And pulled the trigger.

_Thou art I, and I am thou,_ A figure with long brown hair, and a heart shaped harp on it's back. Suddenly, the figure froze, and a sudden swell of power flooded through Minako. Grabbing her head, she let out a sharp cry, falling to her knees. Ripping itself out from within Orpheus came a frightening looking creature with a halo of coffins around it's shoulders.

Letting out a harsh roar it lunged at the large shadow. It swung at it with it's sword, hacking away a few pieces of it's many arms. Reaching out it grabbed an arm and ripped it off, the limb squirming in it's grasp before dissolving in it's firm grip. It tore and ripped and hacked away at the shadow, tearing it to shreds ruthlessly until it was a dissolving corpse, struggling to squirm away in it's last moments.

The frightening figure lifted it's head in another roar, and a split second later it was back to the first appearance that had come out of Minako as the surge of power resided…

Yukari looked around nervously. "Is it over…?"

If only things were that simple. Two of the remaining pieces of the large shadow suddenly took form of their own, squirming and wriggling until movement adapted and came easily.

Yukari gasped, squirming back, "It's still moving….!"

The two pieces of the shadow then began to make their way towards Yukari to attack. Yukari began to panic, left without her gun and any other weapon. "No… G-Get away from me!"

Minako jumped in the way, pulling the gun up to her head again and summoned the thing from before. On her call, it attacked the creatures with a fire attack… 'Agi' was what it was called, or so it seemed. With the help of the thing, Minako managed to kill the things, watching them dissolve into nothing.

With a sigh, Minako looked back over her shoulder to see Yukari was safe. She smiled, relieved – however, the battle took a lot out of her for some reason, and she could feel her mind slipping. Her eyes became unfocused, and she dropped both her Naginata and the gun, falling to the floor.

The last thing she could hear before she blacked out completely was Yukari gasp and call out to her, "Are you okay! Come on…! Please…! Can you hear me! Answer me!"


	2. Welcome to SEES

_Since I've yet to receive any reviews on this story, this chapter is dedicated again to Aigis-_

**Disclaimer:** Guess who's back~!

_Aw crap, who let the asshole back in?_

**Disclaimer:** Shut up, you know you missed me. I'm here to tell everyone about how much you fail because you don't actually own the characters that you're spending hours and hours of your life writing about. ;D

_And now you can leave! 8D *punts Disclaimer*_

_**Theo: **What was that just now that you got rid of?_

_Nothing, Theo, dont worry about it. It was just a pest. Now you sexy man-beast, why dont you introduce the next chapter for the lovely readers._

_**Theo:**__ M-Man-beast? But Mekky, I am an avatar of power, not a beast._

___...;; I-It's just a phrase Theo, it doesn't really mean you're a monster or something of the like._

**_Theo:_**_ *blushes* W-Well I knew that. *coughs* Now, honored guests, please enjoy the next installment of the story.  
_

* * *

This was the… "Velvet Room" …was it? There had been that familiar feeling of flying over a black and white checkered floor, coming to a stop at the door at the end of the empty room. There wasn't even a need to lift her hand and the door opened for her. Stepping inside it was the same room from her pervious odd dream, and so like before, she walked in and took a seat in the same chair she'd taken last time.

Just like last time, there was Igor, sitting patiently on his sofa, waiting for her arrival. Had he even moved from there since the last time he met, or was he permanently glued to that seat? "It's so nice to see you again. You became unconscious after awakening to your "power." I see that it was Orpheus that heeded your calling. That power is called a Persona… It is a manifestation of your psyche."

Oh, that's right, unload it all on Minako at once, don't give her a second to repeat things and have you say it again slower. Then again… Igor had a creepy voice to begin with. Surely there was someone better to tall her this who didn't sound as…..creepy? "Persona?" she echoed.

It was as if Igor was waiting for her to ask a question, knowing she wouldn't get it all at once. He folded his hands under his chin, elbows resting on his scrawny legs. "A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli… You can think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships."

Oh, well that made sence… although he didn't have to say 'external stimuli.' Way to make her think of science class. "That's what 'Orpheus' is?" She asked, making sure she was getting this right.

The creeper nodded. "When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength. The ability evolves as you develop your Social Links - - your emotional ties with others. The stronger your Social Links, the more powerful your Persona ability."

So that meant; 'Hey, girl with only two friends! You fail, go make some more friends for the sake of power!' Yeah, that would blow over well.

"Please remember that." He encouraged, "Now, then…Time marches on in your world. I shouldn't keep you here any longer. Next time we meet, you will come here of your own accord. Until then… Farewell."

The room began to blur and fade until suddenly it was dark once again and she could see nothing.

_(4/19)_

Suddenly, Minako could feel a bed beneath her, and covers over her. The light in the room snuck through her eyelids, paining colors that distracted her as she became conscious once again. Slowly opening her eyes, she lifted a hand to rub them. There was a white ceiling above her…was this a hospital? Feeling the presence of another, Minako looked over to see one worried looking Yukari sitting by her bed.

"You're awake…!" She cheered, oh-so-happy to see the other brunette with her eyes open. Of course, then she thought better of her words, "Um, how do you feel?"

She ignored that cliché question and instead pulled the sheets down a bit, finding herself a bit too warm for comfort. "Have you been here long?" she asked, a bit worried.

In return, Yukari decided to ignore her question too. Wonderful! Let's all play the ignoring game! "Thank goodness. You finally came to…I was so worried about you…The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with you. He said you were just exhausted…" Yukari slumped a bit in her seat, the relief apparent on her face. Minako wouldn't be surprised if Yukari had been sitting there waiting for her to wake up every day after school. "Um… I'm sorry I couldn't do anything. But, your power… It was amazing."

Oh right, that reminded Minako about those…. "What were those things?" she asked, referring to whatever it was she'd been fighting before she passed out for however long she'd been in the hospital.

"…You mean the Shadows?" Yeah, those things. "They're what we're fighting against. And the power you used… We call it "Persona." We'll explain everything later. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before…" Yukari looked down at her hands on her lap. Obviously she had taken Minako's hospitalization personally. She had been the one to know everything that was going on, and yet she had been unable to do anything while Minako took over for her. "I, uh…I wanted to tell you that… I'm sorta like you."

Wait, what?

Minako raised a brow at Yukari, "Why tell me this?"

"My dad died in an accident when I was little… And my mom and I aren't exactly on good terms…." Yukari looked up, making eye contact with Minako, "You're all alone too, right?"

Well that was a rude way to put it…but yeah?

Minako had opened her mouth to answer, but Yukari beat her to the punch. "To be honest, I already know about your past… But, it didn't seem fair, so I wanted you to know about mine…It was back in '99… There was a big explosion in the area." She fidgeted a bit in her seat, averting her gaze. It seemed she was unable to talk about this while looking Minako in the eye. Was she ashamed of something in her past? "Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened…. He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group. So I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find out something. That's why I'm going to Gekkoukan High, and why I was there when this happened to you. …Of course I panicked and wasn't much help… It was my first time fighting them, too. I'm sorry… you wouldn't have to go through all this if I wasn't such a coward…"

Yeah, she was taking the burden for it all pretty heavy. Minako didn't want to see that. Pushing herself up into a seated position, Minako offered a smile, "I was scared, too."

Yukari look surprised, "Really…? But still…" She sighed, looking down once again. Then realization seemed to hit her, "And here I am telling you all this the minuet you wake up."

Yeah, what's with everyone suddenly wanting to bombard her with information?

"While I was waiting, I thought to myself, "I've been hiding so many things from her… As soon as she wakes up, I'll tell her the truth." So, thanks for listening. I've been wanting to share that story with someone for a long time." Yukari stood up, smile back on her face, "…All right, I'm gonna get going. I'll let the others know you woke up." Walking around the bed, Yukari headed for the door. She paused after opening it, looking back over her shoulder at Minako. "…Oh, and, uh…You don't have to be formal around me or anything. Us second-year girls gotta stick up for each other, after all. B-Bye."

"W-Wait, Yukari!"

The brunette stopped again, looking back once more with a foot out the door, "What is it, Minako-chan?"

"Where's the bathroom?"

_(4/20)__ EARLY MORNING_

The next day, Minako was finally headed back to school. She'd missed a lot, but Yukari had promised to help her get caught up on the lessons if she didn't understand anything by the end of the day. As she reached the gates, she ran into Junpei, who was all smiles and grins when he spotted her. "Yo, Long time no see. What's up? Did you have an upset stomach or something?" he laughed, "Anyways, I got something to tell ya."

Minako had to admit she was happy to see Junpei too – he was a good friend. "What is it?" she asked, her curiosity perking.

Junpei had opened his mouth to tell her, "Actually…" and then suddenly thought better of it, "Oh, wait! I'm not supposed to say anything! Sorry, man." He laughed as he watched her huff.

"That's not fair, you cant tease me by saying you have something to tell me and then take it back," Minako retorted with a pout.

"Sheesh, someone's full of energy today…" Yukari commented as she approached, "I could hear you from all the way over there."

Junpei seemed happy to see just about anyone – goes to show what a carefree guy he was, "Hey, it's Yuka-tan. You two live in the same dorm, yet came separately today? Is it…because you'll cause too many rumors again, hm?"

Yukari didn't seem to appreciate his teasing, "What? I just left a little late! Anyways, I need to talk to her. Bye-bye, Junpei," she waved her hand at him as if to shoo him off.

Junpei didn't believe what was just happening, "Whaaaat…" Grumbling, the hatted teen turned and trudged into the school to the shoe lockers.

Yukari waited until Junpei was gone before turning to Minako, "Are you feeling better? …Minako-chan. Um. Sorry to hit you with this first thing in the morning…but Ikutsuki-san wants to talk to you today."

Oh…the pedo-nerd.

"Come to the 4th floor of the dorm after school, okay? Don't forget."

Minako sighed, "I wont, I wont." Then, changing the topic to something even Junpei could jump into, the two headed inside, where said male was waiting for them with nothing better to do but grin and wave to his other pals.

MORNING

It was Mr. Ono's class that day – who turned out to be the weird teacher who had the Sengoku Era Helm on who'd she'd seen on the first day of school. Apparently he was their History teacher.

"That's enough about mammoths…" he said, turning the page in the history book in front of him, "I don't see the big deal. They're just huge elephants…and that wraps it up for the Stone Age." He sighed, flipping the pages to check up on the next chapter's subject and sighed heavily when it wasn't one he wanted to teach. "…I'm tired of lessons about stones. I'd rather talk about the Sengoku era! Japanese history's not that exciting until then. Though I'm paid to do this, so I've gotta… It's tough being an adult." Looking down at the text book again he began to read the text, "Next is… the Jomon period? When do the samurai get their day in the sun! I'll just ask a question at random and call it a day. Hmm… hey, Junpei! What was the style of houses in the Jomon period called?"

Poor Junpei.

Junpei gave the teacher a look, thinking the teacher was being stupid for asking him of all people, "Uhh…How am I supposed to know about something way back then?" Biting his lip a second he stole a glance at Minako again, leaning towards her, "Quick, Minako! What the heck is he talking about!" he whispered harshly, desperate to give an answer.

Of course, he was assuming that Minako knew the answer too.

Which Minako did. She sighed and leaned towards him a bit, "Mud huts," she whispered back.

"They lived in mud huts, sir," Junpei answered not even two seconds after Minako had told him.

"That's correct," Mr. Ono replied with a nod and a smile, "Mud huts were build by digging a hole in the ground and supporting the roof…it's no use," the teacher complained, slumping against the podium, "I cant get interested. Ugh…I wanna get to the age of katanas. Everything else is so dull…"

"Hey…! I answered right, and I don't get any credit?" Junpei huffed, upset he didn't get a 'good job' or something out of the teacher. "Tch…" He looked over at Minako and smiled, "Oh well. Thanks, Minako."

Again the students in the class broke out into a murmur of hushed whispers. "Minako told Junpei the answer. She's really smart!"

Minako sunk in her chair as she felt all eyes on her, her face growing slightly red. Was this really such an amazing feat? Did they not have anything better to talk about?

With the teacher depressed about the whole thing with not teaching about samurai's yet, class passed and ended pretty quickly with the students chattering freely about anything else. Minako spent most her time helping Junpei understand the material they went over since he hadn't paid much attention. When the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Junpei thanked her for her help and headed out to the shoe lockers as she packed her things away.

Since there was something important going on at the dorm, Minako decided it would be best to go back early.

EVENING

By the time Minako returned to the dorm there was no one in the lounge. "Oh right, she said to go up to the fourth floor…" the brunette murmured to herself. So then began the oh-so-fun trek up the stairs. She did stop by her room for a second to drop off her school bag, and then headed up that final flight of stairs to the fourth floor. Upon reaching the fourth floor, there was no one. "What? Oh come on where —Oh." It took Minako a moment to spot the double doors.

Opening the double doors, she came upon something similar to the lounge downstairs…only there was a mini library off to her left, and a …control panel…with lots of buttons and readings that looked semi-important. Yukari, Mitsuru, the Chairman, and an unfamiliar male student were all seated around the table in the center of the room.

"Ah, there you are," Ikutsuki called from his seat in the armchair at the head of the coffee table. "I'm glad that you're okay. I wasn't sure what I'd do if anything had happened to you. The reason I asked you here is because I needed to talk to you."

Really? You didn't call Minako here to give her a cupcake and a stuffed bunny, pat her on the back and tell her to go back to bed because it was all a dream?

"Please, have a seat," he said, motioning to the empty spot on the sofa next to Yukari. Then it was like he suddenly remembered something, "Oh, before that. I believe I mentioned him earlier, but this is Akihiko."

Minako looked over to the man the Chairman was gesturing to as she took a seat. He had short silver hair, brown eyes, and a small bandage just above his left eyebrow. Akihiko gave her a nod and a light smile, "How ya' doin'?"

"Okay," Ikutsuki called Minako's attention back to himself, "Let me start off by asking you this…Would you believe me if I told you a day consists of more than twenty-four hours?"

Minako looked at him oddly, raising a brow, "…Excuse me?"

"Do you remember the night you came here?" Mitsuru asked from her seat. She was across from Minako on an individual stool-like seat, her arms crossed over her chest, and her legs crossed in a very lady-like manner. "You had to have noticed the signs…The street lights went out…Nothing was working… There were coffins everywhere…Didn't it feel like you were in a different time…?"

"Oh," Minako understood now – well the part about her not seeing those things because she was tired, "I remember that now. Yeah, it was when I was walking to the dorm."

"That's the Dark Hour - - a time period hidden between one day and the next," Mitsuru then explained.

Minako tilted her head to the side a bit, her brows furrowing as she tried to get it all understood. "What do you mean by 'hidden'?"

"I guess it's more like something people aren't aware of," Ikutsuki said, taking over the conversation again. "But the Dark Hour occurs each night at midnight. It'll happen tonight, and every night to come."

"Normal people don't realize it, since they're all sleeping inside their coffins," Akihiko added, as if that made all the sense in the world. "But that's not what makes the dark hour so interesting. You saw those creatures." He smiled that fighter's smile, the smile of a man who was thinking about the thrilling challenges of battle. "We call them 'Shadows'. They only appear during the Dark Hour, and attack anyone not in a coffin. It's our job to defeat them. …Sounds exciting, huh?"

"Akihiko!" Mitsuru snapped, obviously not liking what the other senpai was saying, "Why are you always like that? You just got hurt the other day!"

"Now, now," Ikutsuki interjected, trying to keep Mitsuru from scolding the boxer too much, "He does his work well." Turning his attention back to Minako he tried to get things back on the serious level. "Long story short…We're the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad - - SEES for short. On paper, we're listed as a school club. But in reality, this group is dedicated to defeating the Shadows. Mitsuru is the leader, I'm the club advisor."

"A shadow feeds on the mind of it's prey; the victim becomes a living corpse," Mitsuru explained, catching Minako's attention. "They're responsible for most of the incidents on the news, if not all of them.

"Well if that's the case, then how do you fight them?" Minako asked. She wasn't all that interested in becoming some 'walking corpse' or some accident shown in the morning news because of the Dark Hour.

Once again it was Ikutsuki's turn to explain things. "Although rare, there are those who can function during the Dark Hour. Some may even awaken to a power that enables them to fight the Shadows. That's 'Persona' - - the power you used the other night. The shadows can only be defeated by Persona-users. Which means, it's all up to you guys."

So that meant that she had the power. She, Minako Arisato, had the power to fight monsters, that only appeared in a hidden hour in the middle of the night, using some power that is released by shooting herself in the head with a fake gun…

Super!

"I see," Minako replied, trying to take this all in while making sure she was remembering it all correctly.

"I'm glad you're quick to understand," Ikutsuki said with a smile.

Not like she really had a choice.

Mitsuru stood then, leaning over the table to open the briefcase that was sitting on the table. Inside a silver gun gleams uncannily. "What he's trying to say is, we want you to join us. We've prepared an Evoker for you. We'd like you to lend us your strength."

Minako looked from Mitsuru to the gun that was in the case before her. It looked exactly like the one Yukari had been using that night one week ago. So they needed her, huh? Well she supposed it was bound to happen after that accidental display of power back then with that big, mean ol' Shadow that had attacked the dorm. Looking from the gun and back to Mitsuru, Minako gave a firm nod, "All right."

Yukari sighed, relieved, "I was afraid you'd say no…" a smile painted its way across her face, "Welcome aboard!"

"Thank you so much," Ikutsuki began, "I'm really glad. Oh, I almost forgot…About your room assignment…Why don't you just stay here in your current room? I don't know what the hold up is, but I guess it worked out in the end," he said, finishing with a chuckle.

An odd look was thrown at the Chairman by Yukari, "Holdup? But, wasn't that - - Oh, never mind…"

Minako was startled to suddenly hear a voice in her head.

Thou art I… And I am thou

_Thou shalt have our blessing when_

_Thou choosest to create a persona_

_Of the Fool Arcana…_

Minako paused a moment, looking around at the others. It seemed like none of them had heard that – which only…worried her more. But the good thing was she felt her inner strength growing a bit after hearing those words in her head. For a moment she was wondering what all that was about, but then she recalled what that creep in the Velvet Room, Igor, had once said about 'Social Links.' The intensity of the Social Links strengthens the power of the Personas…So then the stronger bonds she makes with people around her, the stronger she can become.

Of course, Minako was very tired, so she could have been hearing things. Even though she'd been in the hospital for a week out cold, she was ready to fall asleep where she sat, so she decided to head back to her room. Bidding everyone Good night, she left the command room and headed down stairs to the girls' floor and went to bed.

She'd changed and curled up in her bed, pulling the covers up and closed her eyes. But just as she was dozing off, she felt someone's presence in the room. Sitting up and looking over, Minako saw the little boy from when she had entered the dorm for the first time – the one who'd had her sign the contract.

"Hi, how are you?" he called blinking his light blue eyes at her.

For some reason, Minako wasn't all that startled by the fact that the boy was in her room without a sound. She wasn't paranoid about the fact that he was standing just off to the side of her bed. He was just a kid. "How did you get in here?" she asked.

"We've met before," he answered with a giggle, a smile curling his lips. "Soon, the end will come. I remembered, so I thought I should tell you."

What was with people going off on their own subjects when she asked them a darn question? Oh well, the kid was cute, so she forgave him. However, this talk about the end unsettled her. "The end?" she echoed.

"The end of everything." He looked away from her gaze, lowering his head a bit, looking a little confused, "…But to be honest, I don't really know what it is." He looked back up, his blue eyes locking to Minako's own red ones, "Oh, looks like you've awakened to your power…and an unusual power it is. A power that takes many forms, yet is bound by none…It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up."

Huh…so this kid knew about Personas or something?

"Do you remember when we first met?" Minako was pulled out of her thoughts before they could stray too far. "I expect you to honor your commitment," the boy said, "I'll be watching you, even if you forget about me. Okay then, see you later."

And then the boy disappeared, just like he had before. Minako lay back down and pulled the covers over her self, closing her eyes and willed herself into the land of dreams.

_(4/21) __EARLY MORNING_

This time it was Yukari to meet her at the school gates. If Yukari wanted to say hello in the morning, Minako didn't understand why she didn't just walk to school with her instead. "Morning," she called to Yukari as she approached.

"Mornin'. Um…" Yukari looked around really quick to make sure no one was close enough to hear form where they were on their way to the school doors. "Thanks about yesterday. Akihiko-senpai's injured too, and I was really uneasy about working alone with Mitsuru-senpai…"

Minako smiled, patting Yukari on the shoulder, "Don't worry, leave it to me!" she said enthusiastically.

Yukari seemed reassured by this and smiled as well, "Yeah! Let's do out best together!" Her smile faltered a bit in only a few seconds though, "But I wonder when Senpai's injury is going to heal. He said that wasn't a major injury…" The two of them headed into the school and to the shoe lockers while discussing Akihiko's injuries.

_AFTER SCHOOL_

Classes had passed easily and in a flash. Minako took her notes, and was even asked by another neighboring student for the answer to a question. It seemed they were all assuming that she knew the answers to everything the teachers asked. She didn't mind though, it gave her the chance to verify if her studied had paid off.

After class Yukari walked over to the desk in front of Minako's. Sitting sideways in the chair, the two began to chat. Yukari stifled a yawn with her hand, "I thought I was gonna fall asleep in there…"

The door to the class opened, and Mitsuru walked into the room, taking a look around, she spotted Minako and Yukari and walked right up to them. "Can I have a minuet?" she asked, "Come to the lounge when you get back to the dorm. I have something to tell everyone. I'll save the details for later. See you there." With her piece said, Mitsuru turned and left the room in the same composed manner she'd entered with.

Minako watched her come and go, almost missing the whole speaking thing in between. "That was fast…"

Yukari scoffed, apparently her mood was ruined by that visit from their senpai, "She's probably busy with things like Student Council, unlike us."

"Woah, Yuka-tan! Do I sense some hostility?" Junpei asked, butting into the conversation and pulling up a chair. Apparently he had been listening in on their conversation the whole while.

"Well, it's not that I don't like her…" Yukari protested halfheartedly, "She's just…N-Never mind. Let's go, Minako-chan."

Gathering their things, Minako and Yukari grabbed up their bags and headed out of the room. Minako waved goodbye to Junpei as they passed. They walked to the shoe lockers, changed their shoes, and left the school grounds in silence.

Next thing she knew, she was walking by the Iwatodai Strip Mall with Yukari.

Yukari stopped, turning to Minako with a nervous look, "A-About earlier…It's not that I don't like her or anything, y'know? Oh, I'm talking about Mitsuru-senpai…" Apparently the subject had been bothering her all this while. "…Why's Junpei always have to talk about stuff that isnt any of his business, huh! Plus, he says it all in the creepiest, most perverted way. He's like the poster boy for sexual harassment."

Minako covered her mouth to stop a giggle form escaping her – but it wasn't all that successful.

"You know, last year he…" Yukari then launched into a series of stories about Junpei's annoying antics which kept Minako highly entertained on the rest of the walk back to the dorm.

_EVENING_

Making it up to the fourth floor, Minako and Yukari entered the command room. Mitsuru and Akihiko were already there waiting for them. "Welcome back," Mitsuru greeted.

"We were waiting for you," Akihiko stated, "There's someone I wanna introduce."

"Huh?" Yukari looked at Akihiko rather surprised.

"…Hey, hurry up," he insisted to someone outside the room.

"Hold your horses… This is freakin' heavy," a familiar voice from outside the room called. The door to the command room opened, and in strolled Junpei from their class, luggage in hand. He was grinning like usual, rather happy to be there. A chuckle left his mouth, "Wazzup?"

"J-Junpei!" Yukari exclaimed, "…Why are YOU here!"

"This is Junpei Iori from class 2-F. He'll be staying here as of today," Akihiko explained.

"Yeah, we know him," Minako pointed out to her senpai, "He's in our class –"

"He's staying HERE! You've gotta be kidding me!" Yukari interrupted.

"I bumped into him the other night," Akihiko pointed out, "He has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently…I told him about us, and he agreed to help."

Yukari gave Junpei a disbelieving look, "You have the potential! For real!"

"He found me cryin' like a baby at the convenience store, surrounded by a bunch of coffins," Junpei openly admitted. "I don't remember much, but… man, that's embarrassing!" He laughed a bit at his little story, not all that ashamed of how he'd been found. "He said that's, ya know, completely normal…in the beginning. Like bein' confused and not remembering anything. Did ya guys know that?"

Minako paused to think about it. This was the first she was hearing of it. She didn't remember having any problems like that, so how was she supposed to have known? The brunette shook her head, "I was okay, though," she replied.

"C'mon now, no need to be embarrassed, it happens to all us Persona-users," Junpei replied, laughing as if she were trying to hide some embarrassing tale like his.

Minako deadpanned, "No, but I really –"

"…But man," Junpei began again, "I was really shocked to find out about you guys. I had no idea. I'm glad I'm not the only one. It could get kinda lonely, ya know." Junpei was all grins again as he lifted a hand to adjust his hat for no reason, "I bet you're stoked too, right! Havin' me join…I'd be nice to have a guy around too, wouldn't it?"

"Huh?" Yukari gave him a look. She honestly looked like she could have done fine without him on the team. "Uh, y-yeah…"

"So anyway," Junpei said, ignoring Yukari brushing him off. He turned to Minako, smiles from ear to ear, "Glad to join the team, Minako-chan."

Minako smiled brightly. She was more than happy to have another friend on the team. Things would be more fun like this. "Let's do our best!"

Junpei gave her a thumbs up, "You can count on me!"

"Well, enough with the introductions," Akihiko said, stepping forward and grabbing everyone's attention. "I think we're about ready." That fighter's gleam to his eyes returned, and it made Minako wonder just what he was thinking.

However, before she had the chance to ask anything, the door opened, and all eyes turned to the large double doors of the command room. In walked Ikutsuki, looking somewhat serious for a change. "Okay, everybody's here," he mused more to himself as he crosses his arms over his chest, "I'd like your undivided attention. For a long time, Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona-users we had. But that number recently jumped to five. Therefore…Starting tonight at twelve AM, I'd like to commence the exploration of Tartrus."

"Tartrus…?" Junpei echoed looking baffled, "What's that? …Sounds like toothpaste."

"You haven't seen it, Junpei?" Yukari asked, like it was the most obvious thing.

"Hm…?"

"Um…" Minako raised her hand to call some attention to herself, "I…actually haven't seen it either. What's a Tartrus?"

Yukari gave Minako a slight apologetic look. It seems she'd forgotten that the only time Minako had been conscious during the time was when they were fighting for their lives. She hadn't gotten much of a chance to explore.

"It's no surprise…" Ikutsuki pointed out, "…since it only appears during the Dark Hour."

"The Dark Hour…?" Junpei sure seemed to like to repeat things.

"Just like the Shadows…"Akihiko added, "Interesting, huh? And it's the perfect place for us to train. You can think of it as a Shadow 'nest'."

"Whoa…" Junpei breathed, looking rather impressed, "Their nest, huh…?"

"But, Senpai…what about your injury?" Yukari inquired.

"Since Akihiko hasn't fully recovered yet, he'll only come as far as the entrance," Mitsuru pointed out matter-o-factly.

"…Yeah, I know," Akihiko grumbled. He looked very upset that he wasn't allowed to do anything. It seemed like training and fighting was something he really enjoyed to do.

"Relax," Junpei said smoothly with a confidant look in his eyes, "I've got your backs."

"I'm not so sure about this…" Yukari retorted, shooting Junpei down in an instant.

Mitsuru looked to Ikutsuki, "What about you, Mr. Chairman?"

"I'll stay here," he answered casually, "As you know, I cant summon a Persona…" He looked rather disappointed at the fact. Minako thought it was more like he wouldn't because it would reveal his pedophile nature to everyone else.

After a bit more discussion, Mitrsuru and Akihiko lead the three second-years out of the dorm. Not much was said aside from Minako and Junpei energetically talking about how it was going to be great having him on the team. Junpei was getting a real ego boost from all that, even with Yukari interjecting a few times to try and put Junpei down with her snippy remarks.

By the time they all stopped, they were at the front gates of Gekkoukan High. Minako checked the clock on her MP3 player to see that it was almost Midnight. So why on Earth were they here of all places?

Junpei looked just about as surprised at Minako, "This is it? THIS is the place? Why HERE?"

"Just wait a few minuets," Akihiko insisted, completely serious as he spoke, "It's almost midnight."

Those few minuets passed in seconds, and soon the world changed to the heavy atmostphear of the world with the eerie green tint. Within seconds of the change, the School began to warp and shift. The buildings seemed to multiply and grow, shooting limbs up and curving into the sky, creating a tall distorted tower that loomed over the land.

"This is Tartrus," Mitsuru explained, "The labyrinth that reveals itself during the Dark Hour."

It took Junpei and Minako to find their words. Junpei seemed to recover verbally first, turning his wide surprised gaze to Mitsuru, "Labyrinth…?" He was like a parrot, repeating a single work that a human spoke to him five seconds ago. "What are you talking about!" Okay….maybe not. "What happened to our school!"

"Once the Dark Hour passes, everything returns to normal," Mitsuru informed.

"This is the 'nest' you were talking about!" Junpei tried to clarify, "But, why! …Why'd our school turn into a giant tower?"

"And one hell of a creepy lookin' one at that…" Minako mumbled in addition.

Mitsuru was quiet a moment, trying to think of the words to say, or trying to get the courage to admit it. But all in all, she said not a word in answer to explain why this happened.

"…You don't know, either?" Junpei asked.

"…No," Mitsuru admitted quietly.

"I'm sure it's complicated," Yukari interjected.

Akihiko was starting to look more and more excited by the second, "Well, maybe now we'll find out. Mitsuru and I have only gone in to take a peek; this will be our first time exploring it. Exciting, isnt it?" That fighter's smile was on his face once more, like he was pumped for a match already, "There has to be some sort of clue in her about the Dark Hour…"

"Akihiko," Mitsuru interrupted, "I respect your enthusiasm, but you wont be accompanying us today."

"I know…" Akihiko retorted, his excitement now quickly replaced with disappointment, "you don't have to remind me."

All the while Minako was staring at the tower. Tilting her head back she tried to see the top, but it was difficult to make out. Maybe it went on forever, or maybe it was just to high to see. "So this is Tartrus…" she murmured, musing to herself.

Following the others, the five of them went inside the gates and up to the front doors of the tower. Akihiko and Junpei stepped up and pushed the doors open, letting the girls in first before entering after them. Inside it was a large room with a single large staircase leading up to the next floor. Other than that it was pretty empty aside from the large pillars all around the center circle of the room, supporting the rest of the tower. The floor was an elegant marble, and though it was empty space, it all looked rather elegant.

"Whoa… It's just as cool on the inside…" Junpei admired as they all walked inside. One would think the guy thought he just stepped into the world of a manga or a video game by the way he seemed to intrigued by it all.

"But it sure is creepy…" Yukari complained, looking around nervously. It was like she was expecting a shadow to jump out of nowhere and attack them…then again… this _was_ the nest…

"This is only the entrance," Mitsuru pointed out, "The labyrinth lies beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs." The three second-years looked to the stairs, at the top where the said door was located it looked like a rather large clock made of silver and gold.

Akihiko stole their attention then, "First, we'll have you three get a feel for this place. Why don't you go have a look around?"

"What! By ourselves!" Yukari looked at Akihiko like he was crazy. No way in hell was Yukari Takeba wandering off on her own to get attacked by shadows.

"We're not asking you to go very far," Mitsuru reassured. "And I'll be feeding you information from here."

"We're also going to appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions," Akihiko stated.

Junpei's ears perked up at the sound of the word 'leader'. This was becoming more like the manga and video games he read and played, "For real?" he asked, "…One of us?" Suddenly he was grinning, jumping up and down like an excited little kid about to play capture the flag and wanted to be team captain, "Oh! Oh! Me, me, me! Pick me!"

Akihiko looked at Junpei rather reluctantly. He didn't really think that Junpei was the best choice. Not only was he acting like a child, but he'd only _just_ awakened to his power. He wasn't ready for that kind of responsibility yet….or anytime soon. He turned to look at Minako, inclining his head toward her as he spoke, "Minako, you're in charge."

"H-Huh?" Minako blinked. Had Akihiko really just appointed her leader? Just like that?

Junpei looked like a wounded puppy for a moment as he looked between Akihiko and Minako. Did Akihiko really just pick a _girl_ over him? To be the _leader?_ "Wha…? B-But she's a girl!"

Minako looked at Junpei rather surprised. Was he really that against her being the leader, or was he just upset and having a fit because he wasn't chosen?

"Well, she _has_ fought them before…" Yukari said in Minako's defense.

Junpei looked shocked, "Seriously?"

Minako nodded, "It was spur of the moment… so there really wasn't any time to think….and…" Well now she felt like an overachiever trying to one-up Junpei.

"That's true," Akihiko began, "But there's another reason. You two…" he pulled out his own Evoker and pointed it to his temple as an example, "Can you summon your Persona without any difficulties, like she can?"

Junpei didn't look so confident anymore, but he tried to cover it up, "Y-yeah, of course I can!" he insisted.

"I think so," Yukari openly admitted, not all that confident in herself, but more confident than she had been on the night of the attack on the dorm.

"These are Shadows we're talking about here," Akihiko lectured, pulling the Evoker away from his temple and putting it back in its holster. "Without your Persona, you're screwed."

Yukari averted her gaze from that of her senpai's, "I'm aware of that."

With a slight sigh, Akihiko looked at the three second-years, hoping that he'd made a good choice in a leader. "All right, let's head inside. Are you ready, Minako?" he looked directly at her when he said her name, making her stiffen a bit.

Minako was still kind of trying to take it all in. Tartrus; and Shadows nest. They were going to explore it…and she was going to be the leader. For some reason….she _really _liked the sound of that. Her confidence in herself seemed to sky rocket, and that fighter's flame lit inside her. A smile came to her face as her hands fisted at her sides, "You betcha!"

Akihiko chuckled at her answer. Apparently there was nothing for him to worry about so far, "That's the spirit."

"All right…well let's first take a look around the entrance guys," Minako suggested, "It seems pretty safe down here, I mean, we haven't been attacked by a shadow yet, so…" With a shrug she went to look around the base of the stairs when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. When she turned to look to her left, there was a blue door with a bright glow about it. It was just sitting there in the corner of the lobby, as if waiting for her to take a look inside. Actually…it looked pretty familiar – like that door from the dreams when she went to the Velvet Room.

"What's the matter?" Yukari asked, wondering why Minako had suddenly stopped.

Minako reached in her pocked and pulled out the Velvet Key, only to see it was shining. So then this key was… Looking back up at the door, Minako approached it and put the key in the lock, it slid in easily as if being sucked in. Turning it, there was a soft click, and the door opened. Minako entered the familiar room and took a seat at the usual chair, the door closing behind her as always.

Again it was as if Igor had never left his seat on the couch on the other side of the table. Really, didn't this guy ever have to go to the bathroom? "I've been waiting for you?" he greeted in that creepy voice of his. What, didn't he have anything better to do? "The time has come for you to wield your power. The tower that you are about to venture into…How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist?" He paused for effect of the questions sinking in, "Regrettably, you are not yet capable of answering these questions. That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power."

Minako raised a brow at the creepy old man, "The nature of my power?" she echoed.

"Your power is unique," Igor explained, "It's like the number zero…it's empty, but at the same time holds infinite possibilities. You are able to possess multiple Personas, and summon them as needed. And when you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibility before you. There may be times when they are difficult to grasp… But do not fear. Seize what you have earned." Wow, Minako just noticed that eerie grin he kept on his face, "Your power will grow accordingly… Be sure to keep that in mind."

"Um… sure, I guess," Minako replied with a nod.

"My spare time will soon be scarce," Igor informed.

Oh, that was not a problem, Minako would feel no sadness over not being able to visit the creeper.

"But please, come again of your own accord," Igor insisted, "I'll tell you then about my true role…the manner in which I can best assist you. Ah, but before I forget…Do you recall when I mentioned another resident of this room…? Tell me… when you think of this person…what do you see?"

Really? Minako had to play the guessing game…? Well… Okay, whatever. Minako paused a moment to think on it. What kind of 'other resident' did she want to picture? It may seem a little selfish, but she wanted it to be s good-looking man. It would help even out the factor of Igor being a creepy ugly old man. "Is it a man?" she asked after her moment of thought.

"I see… then let's bring him out for a proper introduction," Igor said, his creepy grin seeming to grow wider with his creepy words.

One of the doors on the side of the room opened, and a tall white-blonde man stepped out, closing the door behind him. He was dressed in a blue and black suit, a book in his hands and a blue bellboy hat atop his slicked back hair. Beautiful golden eyes locked onto Minako's and she could feel her face flush just from looking at him.

She had thought 'good-looking' but this was above and beyond what she had imagined.

With a slight curl of his lips, the man placed a hand over his chest and bowed politely, "My name is Theodore," he said, his voice alluring and deep. Minako could probably listen to him talk all day and be in perfect bliss from just the sound of it, "but please, feel free to call me Theo. It's a pleasure to meet you…"

"Oh, um," Minako stumbled over her words when she realized just how much she had been staring at him, "It's nice to meet you too!"

"My assistant will aid you as well," Igor informed, "Until then…Farewell."

Okay, Minako would definitely be coming back.

The next thing she knew, she was standing in front of the door again, her friends trying to get her attention.

"Hey," Yukari called, looking at her rather nervously, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, what's up?" Junpei asked, waving a hand in front of her face, "You look like a zombie," he added with a slight chuckle at the tail end of his words.

Minako looked at the two rather puzzled, "Huh? Oh… well… I opened this door and…"

Yukari raised a brow at Minako, "Huh? What door…?"

Junpei paused to look around, "…Uh, I don't see any door," he sighed.

Minako didn't understand why they couldn't see the door, but she supposed it had something to do with the fact that she signed the contract and all that. Maybe they didn't sign a contract when they entered the dorm? How odd, maybe Minako was just special like that…

Or crazy…whichever worked.

"Have you been nodding off?" Yukari asked. Great, did she think Minako was getting a little loopy too? "You seem kinda out of it."

Junpei actually had the nerve to scold her, "Dude, you're s'posed to be out leader. Get you head in the game!" A grin came to his lips then, "Don't worry, though! I got you covered whenever you need it, man!"

More like he wanted to take the spotlight to show Akihiko that he was more disserving to be the leader than Minako was.

"Come on, let's go," Yukari insisted.

Minako was wondering what the heck was going on. Shaking her head to get her thoughts back in place, she laughed a little, "Right, let's get going." Leading the other two, the three of them made their way up the long staircase to the door that lead to the first floor of the labyrinth. "Well, here we go," passing a smile to her friends-turned-teammates, Minako pushed open the door and they entered. She could barely hear Mitsuru wishing them good luck as they entered.

The first floor looked like a gloomy…creepy murder scene of their school. Just the hallways were present, and doors seen were sealed shut and wouldn't budge. The whole floor was a plethora of green, the floors a black and white checkered with a green tint over it. Blood pooled on the ground in random spots, clinging to walls and tiles.

"So, this is it, huh…?" Junpei voiced, looking around with a serious expression for once.

"I hope I don't get lost…" Yukari complained, looking rather worried.

"Don't worry," Minako reassured the other brunette, "I'm sure we'll be fine so long as we stick together."

The communicators they wore emitted Mitsuru's voice in their ear suddenly. "Can you all hear me?" she asked.

Junpei was a bit startled, "Whoa! Is that you, Senpai?"

"I'll be providing audio backup from here on out," she explained.

"Wait…" Junpei looked rather startled, like he was looking around to see Mitsuru hiding in a corner or something, stalking them. "Ya mean, you can see inside here?"

"It's my Persona's ability," Mitsuru pointed out, "I'd like to join you, but the structure of Tartrus changed from day to day. That's why outside support is imperative."

Yukari looked like she was about to facepalm, "Well THAT makes me feel a whole lot better."

"Now," Mitsuru continued on, ignoring Yukari's worries, "based on your location, you can expect to encounter enemies at any minuet. They shouldn't be too tough, but proceed with caution. Practice makes perfect."

"Right!" Junpei answered with a grin. It seemed like he wanted to prove himself as soon as possible.

Minako didn't mind so much, but she was more worried about Yukari having a nervous breakdown because she couldn't muster the courage to summon her persona.

"Got it," Yukari answered. Okay, so maybe she was ready to give it a go and prove that she could summon her persona easily too. Then again a few seconds after the communication ended, Yukari sighed, looking a little thrown off, "Why is she always like that…?"

"Well, let's get moving then," Minako said, brushing off Yukari's complaint about how Mitsuru wanted to run things.

"Let's begin," Mitsuru said again, coming over the communicators, "Keep in mind these are real battles you'll be encountering. Now, see if you can eliminate all the Shadows wandering around on this floor."

Exploring a small ways into the floor, Minako spotted something silver. When the three approached it, it appeared to be a briefcase. Minako set down her Naginata and opened the case to find an item inside. It was a bottle with some sort of liquid inside, it was labeled 'Snuff Soul'. Shaking it about for a second, she shrugged and tossed it to Junpei, "Hold on to this until we get out," she requested, "You've got bigger pockets with those pants. Next time I'll make sure to bring a bag for whatever we all find."

"All right," Junpei answered with a nod. He stuffed the bottle into his pocket at Minako picked up her weapon and stood back up.

The three turned the corner and Mitsuru came over the communicators again, "Watch out! I detect a shadow in front of you! Move and hit it before it attacks you!" she warned.

The three suddenly got very serious, "All right, everyone prepare yourself." Minako cautiously began to lead the way towards the shadow, and swung her Naginata at the back of the first thing she sat that moved in front of her. The three of them jumped the shadow, and as Mitsuru had said, it was a fairly easy battle – no injuries, that made Minako smile. The shadow left over an item, and when Minako picked it up, it was another bottle labeled 'Snuff Soul'. She tossed it to Junpei again, and he stuck it in his pocket.

Proceeding further down the creepy hallways that seemed never ending, there was a room off to the side. Peering in, Minako spotted a staircase. It was at that moment that Mitsuru came over the communications once more. "There should be a staircase nearby. Do you see it?"

"Yeah, I see it," Minako answered.

"A staircase is the only way to proceed to the next floor," Mitsuru explained, "I cant allow you to go any higher today, but please remember about it next time."

"Right, got it," Minako confirmed with a nod before leading the team down another hallway.

In no time at all, they found themselves up against two more shadows. Mitsuru made a comment about the shadows having weaknesses to certain attacks, and suggested that Minako try to figure it out. Whipping out her Evoker, Minako summoned her persona and tested out the Agi still. An explosion of flames knocked one of the Shadows off balance. "Oh! I knocked it down!" Minako exclaimed.

"Do it again!" Junpei said, catching onto her excitement.

Minako summoned her persona once more and tried the Agi skill on the other shadow, and both were successfully knocked down.

"Here's our chance for an All-Out Attack!" Yukari pointed out.

"Right, let's go!" Minako confirmed. The three charged in, attacking the two shadows in a group while they were still down, easily finishing them off. "All right!" Minako cheered when it was over.

"Dude! That was awesome!" Junpei agreed, pumping a fist in the air. "This rocks!"

Yukari seemed to think they were both retarded for getting to hyped up over fighting a few Shadows. She wasn't all that into it like they were of course.

Left over on the floor this time, Minako found a bead, "Huh? What's this supposed to do?" she said, looking it over. She got a weird feeling from it though. "Let's hold onto this too, just in case – who knows, maybe it'll do something." Since it was just a bead, Minako stuck it in her own pocket and they started off once again through the eerie halls.

Turning the corner, Minako only knew the shadow was there because Mitsuru had taken a moment to warn her. She swung her Naginata, catching the shadow in the face….mask…thing. Either way she caught it before it caught them. Junpei backed her up with an Agi skill just at Yukari shot with her bow. The Shadow fell and Minako finished it off with one last stab of her Naginata.

Suddenly Minako seemed to see three cards in her mind, or were they before her? She couldn't seem to tell. One had a leaf-looking picture on it, another had a gold coin, and the third had something like a pixie on it. It reminded her of what Igor had said about the fruits of battle….or….something like that. They seemed to spin in her mind a moment, circling and circling. It took a second to realize that she'd have to pick a card as they rotated or they wouldn't stop. Reaching a hand out, she tapped a card with her finger as it passed. The other two vanished, and the card she chose flipped around.

It turned out to be the card with the little pixie on it. The card vanished, and in its place was a small pixie – the one who had been on the card. With a smile and a wink, she too then vanished…but it didn't seem like she'd disappeared completely – the pixie had become a part of her. Was it another Persona?

Again on the floor there was another 'Snuff Soul' Junpei picked it up before Minako could and stuffed it in his pocket. "Let's get going already," he chirped with a grin as he swung his sword up with one hand. He rested the side of the blade on his shoulder, careful not to cut himself. "C'mon, we can still explore the rest of this floor, right?"

Minako smiled, briskly nodding her head, "Yes! Let's go, guys!"

Junpei and Minako lead the way, trotting off further down the hall, Yukari following along behind so she wouldn't get lost. Another shadow came up, and Junpei jumped on the chance to attack. Teaming up together, Minako and Junpei used Agi skills to take the group down while Yukari healed any wounds that were inflicted on them from counters by the group of five shadows. Again after defeating the batch the cards came to her mind again. Reaching out this time, she caught the card to a blue skinned woman. The name 'Apsaras' drifted into her mind as the persona vanished, entering her heart and joining her other two personas.

A small ways down the next hall, and the three stopped as Mitsuru came across the communicator again. "Huh, that's odd," she mused, "Normally there are more Shadows…Well I guess that should be enough for tonight. Why don't you three find the access point and head back. Since there aren't any more Shadows on this floor, I believe it would be safe if you split up to search for it, but it's up to you. If you split up and get too far, you wont be able to aid each other if a shadow attacks, please keep that in mind."

"Right, I'll remember that," Minako answered before turning to the other two, "You guys want to split up or search for the access point together?"

"Oh! Let's split up!" Junpei suggested excitedly.

Yukari looked like she thought that was a bad idea, "I don't want to split up, I might get lost."

"All right then, Junpei can split from us and I'll go with you, Yukari-chan," Minako suggested, "The hall splits in only two directions anyway. This way Junpei can explore on his own a bit, and you won't have to worry about getting lost on your own."

Yukari smiled, relieved, "That sound's great, thanks, Minako-chan."

"All right, I'll give you guys a holler if I find the access point then," Junpei called, already headed off in one direction, a wide grin on his face.

"Same here!" Minako answered, "Let's get going, Yukari," she urged, leading the way down the other hallway. It was just around the corner when the faint glow of the access point reached them. Yukari smiled and Minako called for Junpei on the communicators. "We found the access point, you know where we are?"

"Yeah, I'm comin'," Junpei answered, bummed that he'd only gotten to explore on his own for such a short amount of time. It only took him a few seconds of jogging to catch up to them.

"Okay, then," Yukari said, "Let's go!"

"Welcome back," Mitsuru called as they appeared at back on the bottom floor. "So, how was it?"

"No problem," Minako replied with a smile, though she was a bit tired, it still hadn't been that hard at all.

"I see," Mitsuru mused, "Well if you gained confidence, that's the best thing you could have achieved."

"Wow…" Junpei grinned, looking at his own two hands, and then to the Evoker strapped to his leg, "I never knew I had that kind of power!" The energy seemed to drain from his face then, his shoulder slumping a bit, "But damn, I'm beat…"

Yukari scoffed a bit, "That's because you were bouncing around like a little kid."

"You look pretty tired yourself, Yuka-tan," Junpei retorted.

"I'm still trying to catch my breath, actually," she answered.

Mitsuru nodded, as if she had expected this to happen, "That's the effect of the Dark Hour; you'll become fatigued more easily. Don't worry, though, you'll adapt. But I'm surprised…" She admitted, "You all did much better than I expected. At this rate, they'll catch up to you in no time Akihiko." Mitsuru actually sounded a bit excited at the thought.

Akihiko didn't seem like he believed her, but the smile on his face said that he didn't mind so much to have strong teammates to work with, "Heh, we'll see about that."

Looking around at the SEES team, Minako smiled. She was glad to have such great teammates who were so easy to work with. She felt the sudden power of her heart intensify as if in reaction to the bond she felt between her friends.

_Fool Arcana Social Link…level two._

Wait.

Wait, wait, wait.

Level two?

So her friendship was being judged on a number scale now?

Well, whatever. She was happy to be on the team, and that was what mattered to her. Feeling a bit tired herself, Minako suggested they all head back to the dorm. The Senpai's agreed, and together, the group headed back home to the dorm.

_(4/22) __EARLY MORNING_

That morning, when on the way to the front gates of the school, Akihiko caught Minako for a bit of a chat. "Oh, good morning, Akihiko-senpai," she greeted with a smile when he slowed to a walk next to her. She felt the sting of a few glares being thrown her way, but a quick glance around provided her with no suspects. Shaking it off, she turned her attention back to the one speaking to her.

"Morning," Akihiko greeted with a slight curl to his lips, "I didn't know that we were on the same train. But man…things have been really crazy these past couple days. Are you all right? You must be confused since you'd just transferred here too."

Minako laughed a bit and shook her head, "I really appreciate your concern, Senpai, but I'm all right."

"Wow, that's impressive," he admired, that slight smile growing, "You're completely different from Junpei. On the other hand," he sighed, "I'm so bored that I feel like I'm going to die…"

Minako frowned, "Well that sucks – 'cuz of your injuries, huh?"

Akihiko nodded, "…Hey, is there any way I can sneak in on the fight? Maybe I could get past Mitsuru if I wear Junpei's hat?"

"Junpei's hat?" Minako echoed, covering her mouth to thwart a laugh, "I-I don't think she'd fall for something like that, Senpai. But if you're willing to chance it…"

A troubled look came to Akihiko's face, "…No, nevermind. The consequences wouldn't be worth it…"

The two of them headed inside the school and to the auditorium for an assembly before classes started for the day. Parting upon entering, Minako headed over to sit with her class. She'd spent most of the assembly zoning in and out of the things addressed, as well as whispering to Junpei here and there when the teachers weren't paying attention.

"…That concludes the main portion of today's assembly," the student at the podium announced, "Next we'll hear a word from the Student Council. Please welcome the new President, Mitsuru Kirijo, from Class 3 - D." The speaker stepped aside, and returned to her seat on the side of the stage, while Mitsuru rose form her seat and approached the podium.

"Thank you," she said politely, bowing her head to the speaker.

"So, she did get elected," Yukari muttered to herself, "Well…I guess she _is_ the most popular girl in school."

"You can say that again!" Junpei agreed, jumping in on her conversation with herself, "There's like some kinda aura around her…Besides, this school's owned by the Kirijo Group, right?"

"As I begin my term as Student Council President, I'd like to share with you me vision for this coming year," Mitsuru said, beginning her speech, "It is my firm belief that each of us must accept the responsibility of bettering our school. However, change cannot occur without sustained effort and an unprecedented level of commitment. That is why we must restructure our daily lives to accommodate this lofty goal. I'd like each of you to dig deeply into your well of motivation, and re-evaluate your convictions…To imagine a bold new future without losing sight of the realities around you. That is the key. I'm certain that many of you have your own visions of the future…For us to reap the full benefits of our education, your participation, ideas, and enthusiasm are essential. Thank you."

After her speech was much applause. It seemed that it wasn't just Minako who had been surprised by the amazing speech Mitsuru had given. Even Junpei was stunned, "Dang…that was freakin' amazing…" he commented, "Hey, did you understand what she was talking about?" he asked, turning to Minako.

Minako had the sudden urge to facepalm. "Of course I did!" she answered, "That speech was amazing, and completely inspiring!"

"Huh? Seriously?" Junpei looked surprised at _this_ as well, "Man, you're smart…"

Just wait until he saw her grades…

"Sure didn't sound like something a high schooler would say…" he continued on, "If it was anyone else, we'd be laughing out asses off."

Minako giggled, "You mean someone like you, Junpei?"

"Hey, hey," Junpei retorted, raising his hands in surrender, "Like I'd ever say some speech like _that._"

"Come on, Minako-chan," Yukari laughed, "Look at who you're talking about? Stupei? Really?"

After the last of the speeches from a few other teachers and Student council members, the students were dismissed to return to their classrooms for their afternoon classes. Today was another lesson from Ms. Toriumi. "All right, today we'll be going over Meiji-era literature. Open your text books to page twelve," she then paused a moment, "…You know what? I'm tired of these textbooks. I just went over this novel in the last class. I've got a great poem we can cover instead. Close your textbooks, everyone, and listen…"

The class was then filled with the sounds of students closing their textbooks, whispering to one another about one thing or another. But, of course, after getting a look from Ms. Toriumi, they all quieted down and listened.

Clearing her throat a bit, she began the poem.

"Isolated cloud

Suspended over the tall

Snowy mountain peak…"

Minako felt a little sleepy, even though she did like the sound of the poem. She just wasn't up to class today, that assembly had been so boring after Mitsuru had finished with her speech and all. That, and it had taken her a long time to go to sleep after the Dark Hour had ended. Her mind had kept wandering and racing with thoughts and ideas, so she hadn't gotten much sleep either. Folding her arms on her desk, Minako lowered her head and decided to take just a small nap.


	3. Falling into things

**_Disclaimer:_**_ Back from hiding out in the depths of her bedroom, Lieal has come forth to throw out another chapter of a fanfic for which she does not own any of the characters._

_Yeah yeah, thanks but no thanks. You're losing your touch you know._

**_Disclaimer:_**_ You're the one who writes me._

_You know what? if you cant shut your mouth, then I'm going to replace you with Yukari._

_**Disclaimer:** but you hate her..._

___Exactly. Now, who's my co-host for this chapter?_

_**Junpei**: Never fear, Junpei is here~!_

_Huzzah! Would you like to make the special thanks for this chapter, Junpei?_

_**Junpei:** Sure things, buddy. This chapter is dedicated in thanks to the story's first two official reviewers; Harmony-chan, and Kaguya-hime. You guys totally rock!_

_They're also fellow Theo fangirls. 8D That poor sexy beast needs more love after all the taunting his sisters put him through - so go you!_

___**Junpei:**__ All right, so without further distractions, let's get this chapter started!_

* * *

_AFTER SCHOOL_

After her nap, Minako had felt great. She stretched in her chair a bit, yawn escaping her mouth. Class was over, so she stood and looked around. Junpei was standing over by the window, so she decided to go chat with him for a bit. "Hey, Junpei-kun," she called, waving her hand a bit as she approached him.

"Hey, Minako-chan. Dude, Mitsuru-senpai's speech this morning was crazy," Junpei said. Apparently he was still trying to wrap his mind around what it had all meant, "I heard no one was even close to her in the election. Considering her background, I don't know why they bothered."

"Well, she does seem pretty popular…and you said her family owns the school or something, right?" Minako replied, "Heck, this is the first I'm hearing of it, but that _is_ pretty darn impressive."

"Let's face it," he said with a shrug. "We're all plain ordinary compared to her, man."

"Yeah…hey, you wanna hang out?" Minako asked, "I don't have anything to do today, so…"

"If you don't mind waiting a bit, sure," Junpei answered, "I just gotta use the bathroom and we can go."

Minako laughed, "Well then hurry up, I want to get out of here."

Junpei went to the bathroom and met up with Minako at the shoe lockers. Since there wasn't much to do, they'd decided on just heading home. But on the way out, barely even past the stairs at the doors to the school, they paused. There was a commotion at the front gate that looked like something straight out of a TV drama.

"Look, it's Akihiko-senpai!" one of the girls in the group at the gate shouted, pointing in their general direction.

"Wait for us!" another girl called as they all swarmed around said Senpai, who was just trying to leave the school.

Akihiko sighed, looking slightly…annoyed by the swarm of girls that gathered around him.

"Man, would you look at that?" Junpei seemed to admire the sight with a slight hint of jealousy, "I hear they're always swarming Akihiko-senpai like that. I know he's the captain of the boxing team, but…I mean, come on! You don't even see girls flock like that on TV! I wonder where they're going…"

"I kinda feel bad for him," Minako commented, "It's got to get annoying after a while…don't you think?"

They watched as Akihiko still tried to head for the school gates despite the swarm of girls around him. Just as he was passing by Junpei and Minako, he noticed them standing there and turned to look at them, "Hey, are you guys free this afternoon?" he asked.

"Huh?" Junpei looked a bit surprised, "Who, us! I…I guess so…?"

"I want the two of you to meet me at Paulownia Mall," he explained. "You know where it is right? I'll be at the police station. See ya there."

"Th-The police station?" Junpei echoed like his parrot self. "…Uh, are your friends gonna come along, too?"

Akihiko looked a bit confused, "Who, these girls?" He looked at the swarm of eager fangirls that surrounded him, looking at him with their starry eyes and smiling faces, "I don't even know their names," he answered Junpei, looking back at the second-year male, "They talk so much they give me a headache. Anyway, I'm gonna head out…Don't keep me waiting." Stepping away from the group of fangirls, Akihiko then headed for the school gates once more – this time by himself.

"Awww…" One of Akihiko's fans pouted, "Why can't he be more friendly?" she sighed, looking a bit hurt that he'd brushed them off so easily as they all walked off to the school gates as well.

Minako got the feeling it wasn't the first time this had happened.

"Man, how can he not even know their names!" Junpei asked, shocked. "I mean, seriously! Just look at them!"

"Um…not that _I'm_ interested in girls like that, Junpei," Minako pointed out.

"Oh…right, heh," Junpei laughed a bit, "Well, I guess we gotta go…" he sounded disappointed that none of the Akihiko fanclub wasn't coming along with. "Sheesh, talk about putting a damper on a guy's afternoon."

Well, sorry Minako wasn't a girl – oh wait, she was. Sorry Junpei had to spend time with friends after school rather than being shot down by girls who cant look at him seriously because of the way he acts.

Together the two headed to the Paulownia Mall. It was only slightly crowded today. There were a few students in the arcade, but other than that, the only people around were some gossiping housewives, a few elderly people talking walks, and maybe a few reporters looking for a scoop. The two cut across the Mall and past the fountain to the police station. Stepping inside, they easily spotted Akihiko, who was right at the front desk, speaking with an officer.

"Thank you, Sir," they over heard him say to the man in uniform, "Oh, these are the guys I was talking about earlier," he stated, motioning towards Minako and Junpei when he noticed them enter. The man he was speaking with looked over the two with a serious expression. "This is Officer Kurosawa," Akihiko introduced, "He helps keep our squad well-equipped. And, this is from Ikutsuki-san…" Akihiko pulled out some yen from his pocket, offering some to each of the two.

"R-Really!" Junpei asked, "Sweet!" Nothing was better than free money.

Akihiko gave each of them five-thousand yen….which….wasn't really all that much. "You cant fight empty-handed, so find something you like. Officer Kurosawa has connections…but these things still cost money."

"Of course they do," Officer Kurosawa said, speaking for the first time, "Nothing in life is free."

"I realize that," Akihiko replied. "Well, I'll see you later. Thanks again." Akihiko turned and left the store, off to do whatever it was he was going to do.

Junpei and Minako looked back at the Officer, who had his eye on them as well. "I've been informed about you two," he began, "My job is to maintain peace in the city, regardless of the circumstances. I'm just an ordinary police officer, but it doesn't take a genius to know something strange is going on here. I'm only doing what I think is right."

"Awesome," Minako commented with a smile, "I think it's great that you're willing to do what ever you can to make sure things say peaceful, it's really respectful. We'll make sure to do our part too."

Though he almost cracked a smile, Officer Kurosawa nodded, "I don't have that much, but you should be able to find what you need. I wont ask what they'll be used for, but I believe that you'll use them for the right reasons."

Helping Minako and Junpei, Kurosawa was able to get them some good weapons for what money they had on them. He said that they could come by the office later when there were less people around to pick them up if they weren't heading back to the dorm – which was actually quite nice. It would make it easier to get them home for their Dark Hour activities if they didn't get caught by another officer because they startled people on the monorail by taking their weapons home with them now.

"Thank you Officer Kurosawa, we'll be by later tonight to pick them up," Minako said as she bit the officer farewell, leaving the station with Junpei.

"Pshh, only five-thousand yen…" Junpei complained, looking at what he had. He hadn't bought a single thing, though Minako managed to help him find something nice with the extra money she had on her person. "I'm gonna take off, since I'm in a bad mood now…Later." With a wave over his shoulder, Junpei walked off, disappearing beyond a crowd of students that passed by.

Looking around the mall, Minako decided she might as well do something while she was there. Wandering around a bit, she found the Changall Café. She remembered that Yukari had mentioned there was a great café in the mall, she wondered if this was it. An advertising sign in the window said; "Pheromone Coffee – 500 yen. A Charming flavor that will turn on your charm." The ad made Minako giggle. Did drinking their 'Pheromone Coffee' really make one more attractive? It seemed pretty silly. Since there wasn't much of anything else to do, she decided she might as well try it out.

Taking a seat at one of the café tables, Minako ordered one of the advertised coffees. It didn't take all that long for it to be brought to her. She blew lightly at it's surface to disperse the steam before taking a small sip. It was actually a very nice coffee. The flavor was rich and smooth, and she could feel it warm her from the inside out even though she wasn't cold. As she drank her coffee, she felt like there were people staring at her and began to wonder if it actually was the coffee's doing. She left after finishing her coffee with a red face and headed back to the dorm.

EVENING

Mitsuru welcomed Minako back upon her entrance to the dorm. The brunette smiled, thanking the redhead. It would take her a while to get used to it, but she enjoyed being greeted upon returning. It had been a long time without such a thing.

"Perfect timing…" Mitsuru announced, "I'd like to speak to you for a moment." She waited for Minako to come closer so she wouldn't have to speak so loudly. "Regarding our exploration of Tartrus… Akihiko is still on the mend, so for now, I'd like you to lead the team."

Minako was a bit surprised that they were still willing to have her lead the team. Of course…she wasn't complaining about it or anything. "Me? Um, sure, I don't mind."

"You never know when a powerful enemy might appear, like the one you faced the other day," Mitsuru pointed out, "It's best to be prepared or else you may find yourself in a difficult situation. So, whenever you'd like to explore Tartrus, just let me know, and I'll gather everyone there. Also, since I'm sure there are other things you will need to take care of, you may go out at night if you need to. Well, that's it. Keep up the good work."

"Right, can do, Senpai," Minako answered with a smile. "If it's all right, I would like to head back to Tartrus again tonight. I want to get past that second floor and see how far we can get before we run out of time."

"Very well. We'll meet at Tartrus around midnight. Don't be late," she answered, "And also…I know exploring Tartrus is important, but be sure to mind your health.

"I will, Senpai, thank you," Minako answered before heading off to her room. Since she had to kill time until Midnight, it would be better to get to work on her homework. She could probably finish it before she had to head out to the school grounds.

THE DARK HOUR

"As we explore Tartrus, this will be our temporary base of operations," Mitsuru explained to Minako as they entered the tower that night. "I'm counting on you."

"Right, no worries," the brunette answered. Before calling the other two over to get started on exploring, she decided it would be best to visit the Velvet room first. She may as well see Igor again to learn how he'll be able to assist her before things got too complicated. Heading over to the odd glowing door that only she seemed able to see, she opened it and walked inside the room, taking a seat at her usual chair.

"Ah, there you are," Igor greeted, Theo standing just off to the side of his couch. "Welcome to the Velvet Room. Well…I suppose it's time for me to explain what I really do here."

Minako was almost _afraid_ to know what he really did there that he told no 'guests' about.

"It is my job to create new Personas."

Come again?

"But in order to do so, I must fuse your persona cards together…In other words, I shall merge them into a single Persona," the creepy old man explained, "The number of Personas you have buried within you is approximately one-hundred-and-seventy. We've never seen a visitor with this many possibilities before. If you establish Social Links, you may be able to create even stronger Personas, too." Igor chuckled to himself – which actually sounded very, very creepy. "This could prove veeeery interesting. So, as you accumulate cards, please bring them to me. If you wish to learn about fusing Personas in more detail…then talk to me so that I may give you some hints."

Theodore stepped forward again, and how happy Minako was to see that beautiful face again. He placed a hand over his heart and bowed slightly, as he did when he had first met her, "How may I help you?" he asked kindly, his lips curling into the polite smile of his.

"Oh, I just came to see what Igor can do to assist me…as he had said before," Minako answered. She then smiled at Theodore, "It was nice to see you again Theo. I'll come back soon."

"Well then…" He replied in that smooth deep voice of his, "I look forward to your next visit."

Minako was then leaving the room, heading over to Yukari and Junpei the second she was back at the base of Tartrus. "All right guys, who's ready to head out?" she asked.

"Oh, I am!" Junpei cheered.

"Sure, I'm ready," Yukari answered with a smile.

"Right, let's go!" Up the stairs and to the door.

Just as they reached the door, however, Mitsuru asked them to stop to inform Minako about something, "I just noticed something when I was scanning the upcoming floors. A few floors up, there's a barricade preventing you from going any higher. The tower seems to have a number of these interspersed amongst its floors. I know I told you the layout changes each day, but these barriers seem to be in fixed locations. Therefore, I'd like you to try and reach the first barricade, but don't push yourself too hard."

"All right," Minako answered, "We'll do our best, Senpai."

And off they went.

The fighting was pretty tough, and the halls seemed to go on forever before they'd find the stairs. With each level they progressed, Mitsuru would warn them of a strong presence she could feel somewhere on a nearby floor above them. Minako insisted that they give it a shot, and headed up to the fifth floor, where Mitsuru said the strong presence was. As they snuck around to go and find the Shadows just to take a peek, they found a machine that looked just like one that was at their base on the bottom floor. Mitsuru asked them to try it out, to the three went over and tinkered with the strange device.

In the end, it turned out to be some weird elevator-type of machine, and it transported the three of them back to the first floor much like the access points would, only it also gave them the option to go to the fifth floor where the twin machine still sat. "Neat!" Minako chirped. "Well, we're gonna go up and try to take on that shadow you were telling us about. We'll be back once the battle's done."

"Just be careful," Mitsuru insisted.

"Yes ma'am!"

The battle had been an easy one. Though at first it had been something of a pain. Flying shadows were hard to get at with swords and naginatas. Yukari used her bow to pierce their wings and get them down on the ground where the three could attack easier, and the battle was over before they knew it.

Of course, after that, they were exhausted. Using the strange elevator, the three headed back down once more, and told Mitsuru they were done for the day. So after Mitsuru packed up the equipment, the four of them headed back to the dorm, where Akihiko was probably asleep, having been asked to stay behind that day.

_(4/23)__EARLY MORNING_

Junpei caught up to Minako that morning before school just as she was about to pass the gates to the school grounds. "Morning," they greeted each other, Minako more energetically than Junpei.

The hatted teen sighed heavily, "Man, I'm so tired…" he complained, "Coming to school's a job by itself. Things got so busy all of a sudden. Well, I do feel a lot more satisfied though."

Minako could see where he was coming from. After all that exploring and fighting in Tartrus the night before, she would rather be in bed sleeping in – but the whole fighting thing itself was pretty cool., "Yeah, I agree."

A grin spread on Junpei's face, "Having somethin' that only we can do… It just feels great." He paused to yawn, covering his mouth with a hand, "Oh man, I'm getting teary eyes now…Goin' to class is a pain…The only think I look forward to is after school. How will I kill time…?"

The first bell rang, calling the students in to start their lessons for the day. For once, class actually passed quickly and quietly without much distractions. Minako took her notes, listened to the lecture, and helped a few students with answering some questions.

AFTER SCHOOL

The moment class ended, Junpei was up and out of his seat and walked over to Minako's desk. "Yo," he called, "Mind hanging out with me after this? I know someplace that's really good! It'll be my treat! C'mon, let's go!"

Well at least now Minako didn't have to worry about what she was going to do to pass the time before heading back to the dorm. "Sweet, let's go!" It also helped that she was going to get a free meal out of it.

"All right, now you're talkin'," Junpei replied energetically.

Together, the two headed out of the classroom and to the shoe lockers to switch out their shoes before leaving campus. They hopped on the monorail and got off at Iwatodai station. From there they crossed the street to get to the strip mall and headed upstairs to Hagakure Ramen. It was crowded inside, but they were able to get in and get a seat at the bar without too much waiting.

"Umm…Alright! We'll have two house specials!" Junpei called to the man as he asked for their order from behind the counter.

"Oh, that sounds good," Minako mused. 'House Special' was normally the best thing they made. Which was obviously why they called it the 'Special'.

"Well…" Junpei grinned, "I'm sure it'll be better than you're expecting."

After a moment, the waiter brought two large bowls of ramen to them. The fragrant smell rising from the bowls made Minako's stomach growl rather loudly. She placed a hand over her stomach and laughed a bit when Junpei turned to look at her, having heard her stomach demand food.

"Well, c'mon, try it," he insisted.

Picking up some of the noodles with her chopsticks, Minako tried a bite of the ramen. The distinct taste of the soup blended well with the thick noodles. It was really quite delicious – Minako was surprised. "I've never had anything like this," she commented with a smile.

Junpei laughed, "Good, right? Well, then, I'm digging in too. Chow time!" He pulled up quite a decent bundle of the noodles to his mouth, only to pull them away a second later, "Ah, hot, hot, hot," he complained, blowing on them a second before trying again. Finishing his mouthful and swallowing, he grinned, "Man, this is great!"

The two took some time in silence to eat their ramen. Well, if by silence it meant the unavoidable slurping sounds one made when eating ramen that was just that good. But after a moment, Junpei stopped eating and looked at Minako, "Hey…Do you feel okay now?"

Minako paused, half of the noodles she'd picked up sticking out of her mouth. She hurriedly finished her bite and cleared her mouth to speak. "What do you mean?"

"I heard that while you were out for a while, you were in the hospital," Junpei admitted, "You seemed full of energy at school…but I was kind of worried."

So that was why he'd invited her out? Junpei had been worried about how she was doing, and wanted to use the opportunity to check up on her and make sure she was doing fine. Now that was something only a true friend would do. The thought made Minako smile, "Thanks…"

"Huh?" Junpei's face flushed a bit, his cheeks taking on a light blush, "Oh, um… No need to thank me…I had some problems myself when I transferred here, too." That embarrassed smile managed to leave his face, the light blush fading. "In your case," he added, becoming a bit more serious with his words, "You've got all the fighting stuff on top of that…I was wondering if you weren't accustomed to the school or whatever…Then again, I think you'll do just fine." Though it was easy to see he was still a bit embarrassed, he just laughed it off. "Still… Girls and guys livin' in the same dorm, huh? That cant be good."

Minako raised a brow at him, not sure if she liked what that line could be implying. "What are you thinking about?" she challenged.

Junpei sighed, "Oh, don't worry 'bout me. I don't drag love into my work." But then a grin came to his face once again, "Then again, I can't guarantee that I won't fall for somebody," he commented with something akin to what should be an evil laugh.

They two shared a laugh then, and then went back to eating their ramen. Junpei finished first, and was paying for the ramen while Minako was munching on the last of her narturo cakes. She sat back a bit with a sigh, feeling stuffed from all the ramen. Taking a glance around, she noticed someone walk in, looking for a seat. Hagakure was still rather crowded, so every seat was filled at the moment. The guy scoffed, grumbling about something and turned to leave.

"Um, excuse me?" Minako called to the guy, hopping off her chair to tap him on the shoulder to get his attention. The man in the long burgundy coat stopped and looked over his shoulder at her. "My friend and I are just about to leave if you were looking for a seat."

The guy looked at her, and then to the empty seat she had left behind, as well as her 'friend' that soon left his seat behind to, to announce that he'd finished paying if she was ready to go. "All right, thanks," he said with a nod.

Minako smiled and scooted to the side to let him pass. "Okay Junpei, let's head back."

"Who was that guy?" Junpei asked

Minako shrugged, "Just someone looking for a seat."

EVENING

Back at the dorm, Minako wandered over to the dining room to talk to Yukari. She was at the table, reading a magazine as usual. Apparently she was into fashion…which would explain why she , you know, only wore half the proper uniform. Minako could understand if she wanted to stand out, but why didn't she get in trouble for it? Taking a seat next to the other brunette, they began chatting about Tartrus and the way they fought. She pretty much had guessed Junpei's strategy, since he was an easy guy to read. If she was going to be a good leader, Minako needed to know everyone's strengths and weaknesses, and work with them.

"Well, I prefer a bow and arrow, probably because I'm in the archery club," Yukari said.

"Yeah, I can imagine that you'd feel more comfortable fighting with something you're already accustomed to," Minako agreed with a nod.

Yukari smiled, glad that Minako seemed to understand, "What's great about a bow is you don't fall down if an enemy dodges one of your arrows. Although…" she sighed, "A bow doesn't do very much damage, and it misses a lot. But, you can always balance those negatives with your Persona," she added at the end, trying to make herself feel better. "So, no worries."

"Yeah, but I'm sure the more you use it in battle the better you'll get," Minako replied. "So, do you think you're up for Tartrus today?"

Yukari made a face, "Not really…" she admitted, "I'm still kinda tired from yesterday. Do you think I can skip out?"

Minako smiled and patted her shoulder, "No worries, I'm just checking to see who's up for going tonight. Since you're not feeling well we'll all just stay home and rest tonight."

She looked relieved then. Yukari smiled, and it was then that Minako could see the bags under her eyes, and just how tired she really was, "That sounds great, thanks, Minako-chan."

"No worries," Minako answered, "Make sure you get to bed early, I think I'll be doing the same soon." Leaving Yukari to her magazine, she headed over to talk to Junpei, who was over by one of the glass cabinets by the couch in the lounge. She informed him that they wouldn't be going to Tartrus that night since Yukari wasn't feeling well. He seemed fine with it, so they chatted a bit about Personas.

"Your Persona is like a part of you…" Junpei mused. "That's why mine only learns physical skills," he grinned then, "…Because dudes are supposed to fight with their fists! Mano a mano!" Suddenly what he was saying seemed to hit him like a ton of bricks, "Oh, that's right…I use a sword."

Minako laughed, "Oh man, Junpei, I think you need some sleep too."

Junpei grinned, "Naaah, I'm fine. You know me; I'm always like this."

"All right, well I'm heading off to bed. Make sure you're rested enough for tomorrow in case Yukari's up for Tartrus then," Minako informed, "G'night." She turned and headed through the lounge and towards the stairs.

"Night," Junpei called after her.

_(4/24)__ EARLY MORNING_

On her way into school, Minako over heard a few students gossiping just inside the gates to school. Her curiosity was pulled, and she stopped off to the side to listen in.

"Is it just me, or have there been more weird people around lately?" one girl asked.

"You're talking about the Apathy Syndrome, right?" a male student replied, "My neighbor has that…He grosses me out. Sometimes I think I might have it too, and it depresses me."

"Maybe you just need some exercise," the girl suggested, "Hey, the athletic teams are accepting new members. Maybe I should join!"

Minako ignored the chatter about Apathy Syndrome then. She recalled Junpei talking about the sports clubs to her on the first day of school. Maybe she'd join one, it would give her something to do after school and keep her in shape for the Dark Hour adventures. Her thoughts were interrupted by the first bell. For fear of being late to class, Minako hurried inside to change her shoes and get to her classroom.

AFTERNOON

Classes passed quickly once again, and as soon as the last bell rang, Minako was packing her things to go look for a sports club to join. After asking a few students about where to look, they pointed her to the stairs to the right of the classroom doors, and told her to go down to the first floor, and through the corridor to the right of that. She walked through the corridor and to the door at the other end. Taking a look at the signs on two of the doors, it seemed that only Tennis and Volleyball were available for girls to join. After observing both teams practice for a bit, Minako decided she wanted to try the Tennis team.

Walking out to the field, Minako met up with Ms. Kanou, the team advisor and told her she'd like to join. She was a pretty woman, short brown hair, dressed in calm pastel colors, and wore her make-up well. With a slight smile, Ms. Kanou then turned to the rest of the tennis team, brushing some hair over her ear. "So, you all have a new teammate," she announced to everyone, "She's Minako Arisato from class 2-F. Everybody be nice to her, okay?"

"Nice to meet you all," Minako said with a bright smile.

"Nice to meet you too!" the members of the club answered back, all smiling as well. They all seemed rather friendly, which was great. It meant it would be easier to make friends with the girls on the team. They welcomed Minako easily, so she'd have no problem fitting in with the girls.

"Um, who was the leader for the juniors?" Ms. Kanou asked.

"That would be me," one of the girls answered, stepping forward. She had long black hair tied back in a pony tail, and dark brown eyes that looked almost black.

"Oh, good. I'll leave the rest to you. I don't really know what I'm supposed to do here anyway," the teacher said with a giggle.

"…All right," the girl answered, watching Ms. Kanou leave soon after that.

"'I don't really know anything! Tee-hee!'" one of the short-haired girls said, imitating Ms. Kanou while flicking her hair back over her ear.

The other team members laughed. "Haaa! That sounds exactly like her. She's too old to try and act cute like that!" a tanned member laughed.

The junior leader turned back to the team then, "…C'mon, let's get back to practice!" She turned to look at Minako, "You're Minako-san, right? I'm Rio Iwasaki, a junior just like you. I'm in charge of the juniors in the club, so don't hesitate to ask me anything. This club meets on Mondays, Wednesday s, and Fridays. We don't meet for a few days before the exams, so keep that in mind.

"I'll do my best," Minako replied with a smile.

"Well then, we're gonna concentrate on doing basic exercises today, so come on and join in," she offered, "Just keep up as much as you can."

"The basics again…?" the short haired girl complained.

"I keep telling you all that the fundamentals are important!" Rio scolded, "Now, let's start off with some running."

"All right…" the other club members groaned.

The girls formed lines for their sprints across the court, Rio at the front of one of them. "Minako-san, you stand in this line," she instructed, pointing to the line to her right. "If you start getting worn our, just keep your mind focused and you'll be able to pull through."

Minako jogged over to the line Rio had pointed to, getting in back of the other members. "I'll be all right!" she cheered, ready to start her first practice.

Rio laughed, a smile coming to her face, "You sound promising." On Rio's call the sprints started, "Well, let's go. Front row, start us off!"

"One, two…" After running laps around the tennis courts, Rio lead the team through a series of muscle exercises. The club then went through basic drills in serving and using different strokes. Practice was tiring, but Minako really enjoyed herself, working up a sweat like that. Though her muscles were sore after practice was over and they all left to change, she felt better than ever – that natural high one got after a great work out.

Afterwards, Minako decided to head back to the dorm.

EVENING

"…Oh, hey," Yukari called, welcoming Minako back when she entered through the front door. Minako smiled and waved, and Yukari smiled back. "Oh, that reminds me," she began, "Have you joined any clubs yet?"

"Yep," Minako answered, "I had my first practice today."

"Oh, yeah? That's cool," Yukari complimented. "…You seem pretty talented, so I'm not surprised. Oh, by the way, maybe we should go to Tartrus tonight…With all The Lost, I think we should do anything we can to help…Plus, I didn't have practice today, so I could use the exercise…"

"Just don't take it lightly, okay?" Mitsuru warned, jumping into the conversation as she looked up from the book she'd been reading, "It's dangerous there."

"I'm aware of that," Yukari retorted.

Well, since Yukari said she was in the mood to go, and Junpei didn't seem like he was about to fall asleep, Minako decided it would be good to visit Tartrus. Walking up to Mitsuru, she suggested they all go that night. Mitsuru didn't seem to argue much on it since they had all taken the previous night off, so she said she would inform the others to meet at the school at Midnight.

Minako headed up to her room once again to work on her homework until it was time to go.

Later, during the Dark Hour, Minako, Junpei, and Yukari used the strange device off to the right of the entrance to go up to the fifth floor, where they'd fought the strong Shadows the night before. They ran down the now empty hall and up the stairs. Mitsuru had them wait a second as she scanned the up coming floors.

"The Shadows on this floor are a bit different than the ones you've faced thus far," she informed, "Proceed with caution."

"Understood," Minako replied, "Let's go, team."

They ran around the floors looking for shadows and items. As Minako had promised, she'd brought a bag to carry found items in. Unlike the night before when they'd first explored, they didn't get all that far. Minako was tired from tennis practice already, so she didn't end up lasting very long that night. They'd only gone up three floors before they had to find an access point.

Minako sighed when they reached the bottom floor, "I'm sorry guys… I should have thought this through before calling everyone here."

Junpei patted her on the shoulder, "No worries, Minako-chan. Like I said before, I've got your back. We can always come back tomorrow."

"Yeah, no need to push yourself. We've all got to work together anyway," Yukari added.

"Thanks, guys," Minako said with a smile. After informing Mitsuru that they were done exploring for the day, they headed back to the dorm.

_(4/25) __EARLY MORNING_

Again on the way into school, Minako heard a couple of student talking rather loudly. This time it was as she was switching out her shoes at the lockers. She took her time so she could listen in – who cares if eavesdropping was rude?

"Oh hey, you know the bookstore at the strip mall?" the guy she'd overhead yesterday asked, "Isnt their grand reopening today?"

"Huh? A bookstore?" the girl with him asked.

"Yeah, leave Iwatodai Station, go straight for a while, and it's after you cross the crosswalk," the guy explained, "We've been at this school for a while…You should explore more often!"

Laughing a bit as the conversation went off topic, Minako picked up her bag and headed to the stairs. She greeted those who said good morning to her, and reached the classroom just as the first bell rang, several other students starting to file in behind her.

AFTER SCHOOL

After school, Minako was packing up her things when she remembered the students talking about a bookstore that was reopening. It seemed like an interesting enough idea. Minako decided she should go check it out, maybe she'd find something interesting to read there.

Heading out of the school, Minako walked to Port Island Station and boarded the monorail. Since her stop was the next station over, there was not real wait before she was getting off the train. If she remembered what the boy had said, she just had to cross the street to the Strip Mall to find it. It turned out to be pretty easy to find. It was right there on the ground floor next to Wild Duck Burger.

A charming green sign hung over the door to the store with the name 'Bookworms Used Books' on it. It looked like a nice little shop, so Minako decided to go inside. Books upon books were stacked everywhere. They were stuffed in the shelves, sitting on the counters and desks. There was certainly a variety to choose from. An old man and woman were behind the counter when she entered, both looking up from whatever it was they were doing when she came in.

"…Welcome," the old man greeted, "What would you like today? We have fresh mackerel…!"

"…Sorry, as you can see, we don't sell fish here," the old woman apologized.

A look of recognition crossed the old man's face, "Hey, you're a student, aren't you? You must be from Gekkoukan High, right?" He smiled, "That means you've probably seen the persimmon tree there…"

Minako cocked her head to the side, "Persimmon tree?" she asked.

"Do you think I'm making this up?" the old man asked. "I'm serious!"

_Well yeah, but you were serious a second ago too when you were trying to sell me fish…_ Minako mused to herself.

"It was planted right beside a walkway in a courtyard at the school," the old man said matter-o-factly.

"I'm sorry," the old lady apologized again, "He's rambling on like an old man…Just ignore him."

After taking a look around the store a moment, Minako purchased a short novel to read and was on her way out with a smile. Looking around, there was still way too much time before she had to head back to the dorm. The old man had mentioned a tree at the school…Minako decided she might as well see if he was telling the truth since she had time to spare. Walking back across to the station, she boarded the monorail once more and headed back to Gekkoukan.

The old man has spoken of a courtyard, so she decided to check out the one by the walkway outside the first floor laboratory hallway. Poking her head out of the door, she spotted a single tree sitting off to the side of the walkway, sitting separate from the rest of the plant life there.

It was, in fact, a persimmon tree.

It looked like a healthy tree, maybe a five years old or so. Its leaves were bright and green, radiating with life. Minako wondered if it held some sort of special meaning to the old couple at the bookstore. Maybe she should go ask them about it now that her curiosity was sparked. Finding a freshly fallen leaf on the ground, Minako tucked it inside her book and headed out the school once again, headed to the same place as last time.

This time when she entered the bookstore, she waved hello to the old couple behind the counter. "…Welcome to Bookworms," the old man greeted, "How many guests? Smoking or non-smoking?" Before his wife could apologize for his words, the old man seemed to have spotted the leaf peeking out of Minako's book in her hands. "Excuse me, but may I see that leaf in your hand…"

"Sure," Minako opened the book she was keeping it in and handed over the leaf to the old man.

"Oh!" His lips curled into a smile, looking the leaf over, "Is this a leaf from that persimmon tree? It must have grown quite a bit to produce such splendid leaves…Wait, do you didn't come here to buy books?" the old man asked after his musings, "Did you come here just to show us this?"

Minako had already bought a book from the store, so she didn't see what the problem was in stopping by for a chat…"Yes, I did," she answered.

"I knew it!" the old man cheered happily. "I knew right from the start that you're a kind young lady!"

Minako felt her cheeks heat a bit at suck a kind hearted compliment.

"I've been meaning to go see that tree for a while now," the old man said, his eyes alight from the delight of seeing the leaf, "but I'm not sure if these stumpy old legs will make it that far…That wasn't meant to be a pun. You know, 'stumpy,' 'tree stump.' Catch my drift?"

"Very clever, dear," the old lady chimed in, a smile on her wrinkled old face.

Smiling back at the old lady, the old man turned his eyes to Minako, "Allow me to introduce my wife Mitsuko. I'm Bunkichi. If you don't mind, would you tell us your name?"

"I'm Minako Arisato," She answered happily, "It's nice to meet you two."

"So, your name is Minako Arisato…" Bunkichi mused, "Then, we'll call you Minako-chan from now on!" The kind old couple seemed to be in such high spirits. They were so happy that Minako had told them about the persimmon tree.

"We're open every day except Monday," Mitsuko said, "Come visit us if you get bored.

After spending a few hours in the book store talking to the old couple, Minako decided that she'd better start heading back to the dorm. She bit farewell to Mitsuko and Bunkichi, and headed out the door and back to the dorm.

EVENING

Akihiko was the one to welcome Minako back when she returned to the dorm. He was on the couch, stringing his boxing gloves, "Where have you been?" he asked.

"Oh, I was just checking out the book store that just reopened," Minako explained.

"Ah," Akihiko nodded. It seemed he knew about the store too. "…Y'know, you better be training while I'm out," he warned, "If anything happens, it'll be you guys who have to deal with it."

Minako nodded, "Yeah, I know. Though it'll be nice to have you on the team once your injuries are healed, Senpai."

Apparently Akihiko was still bored out of his mind with not being able to train because of his injuries, "Yeah, I cant wait to get back on the team. But if I try to get involved before I'm fully recovered Mitsuru will have my head."

"Don't think of it in a bad way," Minako suggested, "She's just looking out for you is all."

"I know," Akihiko retorted with a sigh.

Looking around, the first floor looked pretty empty. Only Akihiko was there, sitting on the couch, off in his own little task. "Senpai… where's everyone else?" she asked.

"I saw Yukari and Junpei on the second floor if you need to talk to them," he answered, focusing once again on lacing up and taking care of his boxing gloves.

Leaving him to his task, Minako trotted off to the stairs and went up a floor. Yukari and Junpei were sitting around the little table in front of the hallway by the vending machines. Yukari had her magazine again, and Junpei was reading a manga.

As soon as she saw Minako, Yukari lowered her magazine, "Mitsuru-senpai should be in the meeting room. She said she was gonna do some training."

"Training?" Minako echoed.

Yukari nodded, "Oh, but if you wanna go to Tartrus, she said it was all right."

"You guys want to go tonight?" Minako asked, wanting to make sure they were feeling well enough to go.

"Sure, I'll go," Yukari answered with a smile, "I had practice today, but it's not as much of a work out as Tennis can be, so I'll be fine."

"You know my answer," Junpei replied with a grin.

"All right, I'll go tell Mitsuru then," Minako said happily with a smile. She climbed two more flights of stairs and headed to the double doors off to the right of the stairs. Mitsuru was inside, seated in the arm chair at the head of the coffee table in the room. She had a radio out and a book open.

Minako had no idea how _that_ was training.

"…Hm? Is something the matter?" She asked, looking up from her reading material.

"Junpei, Yukari and I all agreed that we'd like to go to Tartrus tonight," Minako informed.

Mitsuru nodded, "Very well. We'll meet at Tartrus around midnight. Don't be late."

Again, Minako headed back to her room to do her homework until it was time to head out to reach the school on time. It was strange how quickly Minako got used to seeing her school transform into such a foreboding looking tower in the dead of night when people all turn into coffins. Gathering up their supplies, and carrying the bag with the items they'd found last time in Tartrus, Minako and the other two headed to the elevator device, heading up to the last floor they'd been on.

This time they managed to make it to the tenth floor. They moved carefully and silently to get the upper hand on the three strong shadows Mitsuru warned them about. They looked like giant gloved hands with heads ontop. "All right, Yukari, try hitting them with your arrows like last time. If that doesn't work then Junpei, I want you to try Agi. If it still doesn't work, I'll try a bash attack using Orpheus."

"And what if that still doesn't work?" Yukari asked.

"The we're just gonna have to hang in there until we can get them down," Minako answered. "If it comes to that, Yukair, I want you to focus on using Dia, keep everyone up and running. Junpei, I want you to use whatever you think is most effective on them, I'll do the same. Got it?"

The other two nodded, "Got it," they answered together.

"All right, let's go!" Turning the corner, the three of them charged into battle. Yukari shot with her bow, but it did little to stun the enemy. Junpei was up next using Agi on the closest shadow with Hermes – but it was no good. Finally it was the last shot; Minako summoned Orpheus and commanded a bash attack. As the harp connected with the Shadow, it was knocked off balance. The three of them cheered as Minako ordered Orpheus to do the same to the other two shadows by use of her Evoker.

"Here's our chance! Let's do it!" Junpei grinned. The three of them charged in, attacking wildly and taking advantage of the fallen enemy. It was an easy win after that.

Afterwards, the three fell to their bums and sighed. "Man, that was one heck of a fight," Minako complained.

"Tell me about it," Junpei added, "We had to do an all out attack like…. Five times…"

Yukari looked ready to give up, "It's hard to keep track of healing when they kept dishing out those spell attacks. They knocked me down three times…"

"Don't worry Yukari," Minako insisted, "You did a great job, we'd be toast if you hadn't been with us for this battle."

Yukari smiled a bit, "Thanks…"

Junpei stood up then, adjusting his hat to fit better, "Well, who's ready to head back to the base and call it a night?"

Minako and Yukari both raised their hands.

Taking each of their hands, Junpei helped them up. The three of them walked together back to the elevator device and used it to jump back to the first floor, where Mitsuru greeted them. She was rather impressed that they'd been able to defeat the guardian. Yukari informed the redhead that they were done for the night, so the four of them headed back to the dorm to get some well-earned sleep.

_(4/26) __EARLY MORNING_

Minako woke the next morning to the sunlight streaming through her window, and the birds chattering and chirping in the trees outside their dorm. It was a Sunday morning, so there was no school. Wondering what she should do for the day, Minako climbed out of bed and stretched. She took her time in lazily wandering around her room to pick out an outfit to wear. Since she wore uniforms six days out of the week, she didn't bring much for casual clothing. She put on a stripped sweater, a pleat skirt, some black tights, boots, and a red scarf. Pausing to wash her face in the sink, Minako then brushed her hair and put it up, using the Mirror to help her.

Leaving her room behind, Minako walked down the hall and to the stairs, heading down to the first floor lounge. The only two down there was Akihiko and Mitsuru, both of them reading their own material. "Good morning, Senpai," Minako greeted as she reached the back of the couch by the door. "Any plans for today that I need to be aware of before I head out?"

Mitsuru looked up from her book, "Generally speaking, you may do whatever you like on your days off," she informed. "You can study, or go out. It's up to you."

With the way she'd said it, it sounded like Mitsuru would prefer to see the other residents of the dorm indoors on Sunday, studying their school material and working on homework. "Well, what do you do, Senpai?" Minako asked.

"Oh, I prefer to stay in and read," she answered, nodding toward the book sitting in her lap now.

"Ah… well…." Minako did have a book she could read later when she got back since she had nothing else to do. "I'll leave you to your reading then." Turning away from her Senpai, Minako headed out the front door of the dorm.

Outside it was bright and sunny. However, no matter how brightly the sun decided to shine, there was still the cold chill of the lingering winter season. The weather promised to change to the hotter seasons in due time, but for now there was still the slight cold Minako had to be aware of – it would do the team no good if she were to get sick. Walking down the steps in front of the dorm, Minako wandered off, wondering what she should do to spend the day. There really wasn't much, so maybe she'd go visit the old couple at the bookstore. Mitsuko had said that she could come over if she were ever bored.

On the way to the bookstore – or more like just out front of it – Minako ran into Junpei. "Hey, Minako-chan! What's up?" He called, grinning. He seemed in a good mood. It must have something to do with the fact that there was no school that day.

"Nothing really," Minako replied, stopping to chat with him a bit, "What's up?"

"I just ate, man," he answered. That might have been the other reason why he seemed so happy. "All the exercising in Tartrus makes me hungry."

Minako laughed, "Way to go. Just make sure not to get fat, Junpei."

"Me? Fat? Come on, Minako-chan, not me," he chuckled. "You heading somewhere, or just wandering around?"

"Oh, well I was thinking of heading into the bookstore, there," she answered, pointing at the 'Bookworms Used Books' that was just off to the side and behind him. "The old couple inside are really nice."

Junpei looked over his shoulder at the store, "Ah, I see. You know what, next time you're bored and I'm not doing anything, let's go to the manga café – you read manga don't you?" he offered.

"Yeah, I read it," Minako answered, "I'll hit you up next time then. I'm gonna pop in and say 'hi' to the old couple in there, I'll catch you later."

"Later," he called, already turning to walk off to do something else.

Minako headed into 'Bookworms Used Books,' it looked the same as it has last time.

"Oh, you came back!" Bunkichi said happily when he spotted her enter the store, "Welcome, um…What was your name again?"

Minako was somewhat at a loss, "I'm from Gekkoukan…" she began, hoping to jog his memory.

Bunkichi chucked, "I'm just joking. I know who you are. I'm not that old." He gave her a pat on the shoulder and lead her further into the store, "My wife and I were just talking about you, Minako-chan."

"Y-You were?" she asked, a little embarrassed, as well as a little nervous to know what they were saying about her.

"Ah, right. Minako-chan, do you like Melon Bread?" Bunkichi asked.

Minako's ears perked, "Melon bread?" she echoed.

Bunkichi nodded, "Someone gave them to me, but I have more than enough. Go ahead, take one."

A bright smile hopped onto Minako's face, "Thank you!"

"Don't worry about it; It's just melon bread. There's no need to thank me," Bunkichi laughed. He seemed tickled pink by her words as he handed her a Melon Bread. Amusement played on his face as she immediately bit into it, her cheeks rosy and a smile on her lips. "Minako-chan, you're so polite. I wish _he_ had been that way…" He seemed impressed with her manners, "Do you want one for a friend too? Because it'll take us forever to finish them all."

Minako felt like she'd just been told she won the lottery, "Sure, I'll take some," she answered energetically. She opened the bag at her hip. She'd decided to bring one with her that day to get into the habit for Tartrus.

"All right, here ya go. Um…uh…er…" Bunkichi seemed to be struggling, "What was your name again?"

"Remember, dear?" Mitsuko spoke up, "This is Minako-chan." She seemed to be the less talkative of the two. "I'm sorry Minako-chan. He's been terribly forgetful lately," she laughed a bit, a smile on her face. "Here you go," she said, giving Minako some more melon bread, which Minako put in the bag before closing it up and returning to eating her melon bread.

"…Where did he run off to, dear?" Bunkichi asked, "He should be here helping customers…I'm sorry Minako-chan."

Minako blinked, looking at the old man rather confused, "Who are you talking about?" she asked curiously.

"Our spoiled son," Bunkichi replied, looking somewhat lonely, "He hasn't been back in a while. Where did he go, dear?"

Mitsuko looked even sadder than Bunkichi, "Must you dear…?"

"What are you talking about?" Minako asked, having stopped munching on her melon bread.

It seemed to have hit Binkichi then, "Our son…Passed away before us…" he answered, "I'm so sorry, Minako-chan. I don't mean to make you feel uncomfortable…"

Minako shook her head, "No, I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have pried."

"It's all right, Minako-chan," Mitsuko answered with a sad smile, "You didn't know."

"H-hey, hey, why the gloomy faces? It's dark outside. I don't need it to be dark in here too," Bunkichi pointed out, looking out the window. "…Please come again. We'll be waiting for you, Minako-chan."

Minako nodded. "I'll come visit again," she replied, "Have a nice evening."

"Have a safe trip home," the two replied, seeing her off.

EVENING

Mitsuru welcomed Minako back when she returned, and Minako smiled and thanked her. Heading to the dining room, Minako decided to check up on Junpei and Yukari. "Hey guys," she called, walking up to one of the empty chairs between the two. "How's it going?"

"Hey Minako-chan," Yukari greeted.

"'Sup, Minako-chan," Junpei replied.

Minako smiled, "Either of you up for Tartrus tonight?"

Junpei actually looked reluctant at the mention of Tartrus. "Nah man, I think I ate too much today. I'm getting one heck of a stomachache. I think I'll skip out tonight – I'm still tired and everything."

"No problem," Minako replied, "I'll tell Mitsuru-senpai that we wont be going tonight so you can get some rest."

"Cool, thanks, Minako-chan," Junpei replied, smiling at her.

Walking back to the lounge, Minako relayed the message to Mitsuru that they were taking that night off too. She didn't seem to upset about it, so Minako headed up to her room. Since there was no homework left to do, she curled up on her bed and read the book she'd bought the other day for a few hours before deciding to turn in for the night.

_(4/27) __EARLY MORNING_

Minako was just passing the school gates when again she over heard the guy and girl from the other day talking again. They were really in the loop of gossip, so maybe Minako would listen in again…as well as any other time she heard them talking.

"Morning…" the girl yawned, "Ugh, I'm so drowsy on Mondays…"

"Didn't you say the same thing last week?" the boy asked. "Oh yeah. Is that special morning assembly today? How some we're having one? We just had one last week…"

The girl seemed to laugh a bit. "Remember hoe great Kirijo-senpai's speech was last week?"

"Oh yeah, that speech was awesome!" the guy cheered, "Although, I didn't understand most of it."

So he was just like Junpei then.

"What I heard was, the Principal got jealous, so he scheduled his own speech to compete with her," the girl explained.

"Seriously?" the guy looked like it meant the end of the world, "What's up with that? Why do we have to suffer because of his ego!"

The first bell then rang, and the two – plus Minako – sighed. None of them were looking forward to the speech. Minako had only heard him once, but she'd rather not listen to him drone on and on in that dreary tone of his. Heading inside, all the students headed in and went to the auditorium to sit down.

The teacher at the podium then asked all the students to quiet down, "We'll now begin this morning's assembly." The man cleared his throat, "First, out principal has some words he'd like to share with you. Please give him a warm welcome."

No one clapped.

"…Thank you," the chubby gray-haired man said.

"What's the deal with this assembly?" Yukari whispered. "…You think it's about the recent incidents?"

"Who cares?" Junpei replied, "The principal doesn't know anything about the Shadows anyway. I just hope this doesn't take too long…" Junpei sighed, already looking like he was ready to fall asleep.

"I know," Yukari groaned in agreement, "His speeches always drag."

"Ahem," the chubby Principal cleared his throat before speaking further, "Today, I'd like to tell you about my, um, vision for this school year. As you are aware, strange incidents have been reported on the news lately. It is my firm belief that none of you are involved. However, if we want to better our school, then we all need to accept responsibility for change. Dig deep down inside, and tap into your imaginations. …But don't lose touch with reality. As they say, 'There's not use crying over spilt milk.'" He paused to chucked a bit as if he found the phrase amusing in some way, "This is the key to reaping all the rewards school has to offer…"

As the principal droned on his is speech, Minako allowed herself to tune him out and looked over at Yukari when she tapped her shoulder. "Wait a minuet…Doesn't this remind you of Mitsuru-senpai's speech?"

"Yeah, you're right…" Junpei agreed.

"He probably just ripped off the whole thing and added his own words in to make it sound like he wrote it," Minako pointed out, "Like a kid when they copy someone's essay or homework."

Junpei groaned, "What's up with that!"

LUNCHTIME

Minako some how managed to make it through the speech without wanting to shoot herself with her Evoker and kill the Principal. Class was so enjoyable in comparison that it passed right by. The next thing she knew it was lunchtime. Mitsuru walked into the room and approached Minako's desk. "Arisato…" she called, making the brunette look up from her lunch. "I'm sorry, but I need to talk to you after school. I have a special request for you."

"For me?" she asked, rather surprised. She could feel all eyes in the classroom on her. After all, she _was_ talking to the student body president in a second-year classroom.

"I apologize for being in a rush, but I don't feel comfortable asking anyone else," she explained, "I'll tell you more about it after school, okay? Au revior." She turned to leave, off to do whatever it was she was in a hurry to do.

AFTERNOON

After lunch, it was time to get crackin' on math problems with Ms. Miyajara. It was weird to see a woman with an afro…even if she looked tan enough to pull it off. "…Then round up, so…The answer is x=1," she explained, working on a problem on the board. Pausing, she looked back at the open text book on the podium when a student raised his hand and corrected the teacher on the answer she'd gotten. "Hmm? It isnt? Oh, I see, this becomes 11, so…I'm sorry, you're right, X=2. Wait…is that right? Okay, uh, your assignment is to figure this out."

The class exchanged nervous looks.

"Anyway…wasn't that incredible?" She smiled, playing around with her triangular ruler she kept on her for good luck, "Even with a difficult problem like this one, once you solve it, X still equals 1. Or maybe 2. What I'm getting at is, math is fun! Don't you think so? Civilization owes its very existence to math!" Looking around the classroom she mused to herself a bit, "All right…Today is the 27th, so that works out to… your turn, Minako."

Minako looked at her classmates before standing. What the hell kinda equation did she do wrong to work out that it was Minako's turn to be picked on? "Y-yes?"

"Do you know when numbers were invented?" Ms. Miyahara asked.

That…was not something a normal person would know. But Minako had done so well in helping the other students with answering questions that if she got it wrong she'd probably look like an idiot. It was worth a guess, "Six-thousand years ago…?" she asked hesitantly, trying to sound confidant in her answer.

"You got it!" The class all looked at Minako in surprised and in awe. "The Sumerians invented numbers six-thousand years ago. Later, Arabic numerals were invented in India, which brought us the number zero and countless equations!" The teacher seemed to be in heaven, teaching about numbers and their origin, "Ahh… the beauty and wonder of it all! Math is _magnificent_!"

AFTER SCHOOL

After School as Minako was packing her things up, Mitsuru entered the classroom again and approached her desk like she had at lunch. This time she was ready for the redhead's appearance. She'd been lazing about after class waiting for her to show up to discuss that 'request' she seemed to have.

"I apologize for making you wait," Mitsuru said, "To make a long story short, I want you to join Student Council."

Minako stared at Mitsuru for a moment. Like, really? She was already in a sports team, and then they were all in SEES – she wanted to add Student Council on top? Well she knew who to blame if her grades started to drop now. "Why so sudden?" she asked.

Mitsuru looked like she could read Minako's mind, "Well, it's not like you'd have to participate in every activity. Just come to the Student Council room when you have the time," she insisted.

"Is that all?" she asked. If it was just a bit here and there it seemed like it wouldn't be that big of a deal.

"Yes, that's it. I just want you to join," she answered. "Being President is very time-consuming. I'd like to have additional help available in the event of an emergency. You understand my situation…I'm asking you since you know what it's like to be a leader."

Okay, so it seemed to make a bit more sense then. "Roger!" she replied with a smile, "That wont be a problem."

"I knew I could count on you," Mitsuru answered with a smile, "…I've already made an appointment for you with the faculty advisor. But you'll have to go to the Faculty Office on your own." She hesitated for only a second, "I'm sorry I made the arrangements without your permission, but I hope you understand the position I'm in. Please go to the Faculty Office, Arisato. I'll be waiting for you in the Student Council Room," she said, then turning and leaving the classroom.

Oh boy, Student Council huh…? Well, Minako was sure hoping that there wasn't going to be any snobs in there who were going to give her a hard time. Heading out of the classroom, Minako headed down to the first floor and entered the Faculty Office. She came upon Ms. Toriumi, who looked like surprised to see her.

"Oh, Minako. Can I help you?" She asked, looking up from the papers at her desk.

"About Student Council…" Minako began hesitantly.


	4. He's almost like a child, lol

_All right, so you know, I've officially fired the disclaimer, so you guys already know by this chapter that I down own this stuff, just the hours I put into writing this. 8D;; Today's special co-host is Theodore again, because he plays a nice role in this chapter, yaaaaay!_

_**Theo**: I am delighted to be here once again._

_As you should be. Now! On to the dedication and special thanks. Thanks to the two anon reviewers, Rawr, and Hamujiro, as well as thanks to Deidara'sgirl19 for their reviews. A special thank you to Harmony-chan, who's given me a long review for each chapter so far. 3 And - only because I promised this super awesome person I'd dedicate this next chapter to her - this chapter goes out to my super, totally awesome, most adorable special friend Yun! _

_****__Theo__: And now, for another announcement before the chapter starts and Mekky forgets to inform the readers once again. *clears his throat* Seeing as there is a lot of time spent in Tartrus to level up in the game itself, Mekky would like to inform you - the readers- that she will be merely skimming or skipping over the adventures in Tartrus and the Dark hour, unless there is a specific scene that involves Minako, or if there is a Gurardian/Boss fight._

___Thank you Theo - I almost forgot to tell everyone. 8D;;_

___**Theo**: That's what I'm here for. Now... Shall I do the honors?_

___Go right on ahead, Theo, love._

___**Theo:** Honored guests, we now present to you, the next installment of; 'L i v e Die L o v e'. Please enjoy._

* * *

After talking things over with Ms. Toriumi, Minako was given permission to enter the Student Council room. She stood outside the door for a moment, wondering if she should really go inside or not. Mitsuru seemed liked she'd really appreciate the help, so she didn't think there was anyway around it even if she didn't want to. Opening the door, Minako walked inside, bracing herself for anything.

Inside there were many students seated at the tables. There was lots of writing on the board, each addressing a topic they were supposed to discuss as well as upcoming events planned and who was directing them. All eyes turned to her when Minako entered. She caught Mitsuru's eye, and the redhead seemed to suppress a relieved smile, glad Minako had not let her down.

"Everyone, this is Minako Arisato. She'll be joining us in Student Council," She explained to the group of students.

"Minako-kun, huh…" a boy mused. He seemed to be the head of the Disciplinary Committee. He had black hair, a light shade, slicked back and out of his face. He was dressed properly in the school uniform with the armband for his position pinned in its proper place. "I'm Hidetoshi Odagiri. I supervise the Disciplinary Committee."

"I'm Chihiro Fushimi, the Treasurer," a meek looking girl with long brown hair and glassed introduced herself, "I'm a sophomore, and um… I'm still learning the ropes, so…please be patient with me, Minako-san."

"Nice to meet you all," Minako replied with a bow.

Hidetoshi looked over Minako, sizing her up. It made her a bit uncomfortable, and her cheeks flush with a little bit of color. "…You must be talented if the President hand-picked you. Nice to meet you," he said with a something akin to a smirk on his face.

Minako didn't know if she liked it, but she got the feeling that Hidetoshi was going to be expecting a lot out of her. That and he probably wanted to get to know her better. With a look to the clock, it seemed like the school day was just about at it's end.

"…Today, we'll just do introductions," Mitsuru suggested. "It'll be your job to help us, Arisato. From now on, you have my permission to enter the Student Council Room whenever you need to. That includes after school, too. The Student Council meets on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We don't meet on days before tests." Mitsuru smiled then, looking very grateful, "Thank you, Arisato, for joining us today."

Though Minako insisted she should stay after so she and Mitsuru could walk back to the dorm together, the redhead insisted she leave with everyone else. She had a few things she needed to take care of before she left.

Minako decided to stop by Hagakure Ramen on the way home for some dinner. Since it wasn't all that late yet, it was the mild run before the dinner rush came in, so it was easy enough to find a seat at the bar up front. She ordered a Hagakure bowl and sipped on the cup of ice water she'd requested – because, you know, water's free. About two seats down was the same guy in the maroon coat she'd seen the last time she'd been there. He was just getting his ramen, so she assumed he'd just gotten there too. Not to long after, Minako was given her bowl, and she began to eat. The ramen was just as good as it was last time, and for that Minako was very, very grateful.

Just as she was finishing up her ramen, she noticed the guy in the coat a few seats off from her pull out a 500 yen coin to pay for his meal. As he did so, she saw a few 1,000-yen bills spill out. He didn't seem to notice as he got up. Minako hopped out of her seat as he passed by behind her, and she picked up the bills, "Excuse me!" she called to the guy, once again catching him with a tap on the shoulder.

He turned, just as he had last time, and looked at her over his shoulder, "What do you want?" he asked, obviously not recognizing her from last time.

Minako held out the three, 1,000-yen bills he had dropped. "You dropped these when you were paying for your ramen."

Turning to face her fully then, He reached out, taking only two of the 1,000-yen bills, "Thanks." He turned to leave then, leaving her with one of the bills still in her hands.

"Ah, but-" Minako protested. She didn't like taking other peoples money. It wasn't like she had returned it on purpose, thinking that she'd get a reward. She just didn't want him going to get something with that money later only to find he'd lost it.

"Keep it," he retorted, cutting her off. Ignoring any other protests from her, he left the shop.

A bit frustrated at it, Minako huffed and went back to her seat. Oh well…it wasn't like she was going to give it off to someone else just because it was donated funds in a way. Money was money, and things didn't progress if you didn't have it. So Minako used the bill to pay for her food, and then stuffed the change into her wallet before leaving.

EVENING

Everyone was already back when Minako returned to the dorm. "…S'up, dude?" Junpei greeted from where he sat in the armchair eating his cup ramen. "Yo! I heard Mitsuru-senpai asked you to join Student Council!" He then turned to said Senpai with a curious look, "Mitsuru-senpai, are you sure you wanna let in a girl who's just transferred in?"

Mitsuru looked up from her reading material, "I need some assistance, that's all. I won't let the responsibilities stack up too high. Why, are you interested in helping too, Iori?"

Junpei leaned away from her as if she threatened to beat him with her book if he continued to speak – which for all Minako knew could have been how he saw it. "Oh, uhhhh… I'll pass. But, thanks for the offer."

Minako laughed, "Well, while were talking, you feeling up for Tartrus tonight, Junpei?"

"Sure thing," he answered, "Want me to go tell Yuka-tan?"

"I can tell her, I'm gonna head up to my room to work on homework before we leave anyway," Minako said, "But thanks for the offer." She headed towards the stairs, seeing Yukari sitting on one of the stools at the counter in the dining room. She was reading through an English assignment in the text book it seemed. "Hey, Yukari-chan," Minako called, catching her attention for just a second. "We're gonna go to Tartrus tonight, so just giving you a heads up."

"All right, cool."

Hours later, when the Dark Hour rolled around, the three Persona users headed up to floor ten to explore further. Their goal that night? To get to the next floor with a guardian, and then head home. They weren't going to fight it – they'd probably be exhausted by time they got there, but they would get up to that floor, and fight the guardian the next time they went to Tartrus.

The other two thought it was a good plan.

Things seemed easy enough. Mitsuru scanned the floors ahead, and Junpei, Yukari, and Minako all took care of eliminating Shadows as they searched for the stairs. Sometimes, if Mitsuru informed them that there were no more shadows on the floor, they'd split up and search for those lucky random briefcases with presents inside, and then meet up at the stairs. The most wonderful thing happened during one of those moments. Minako opened the briefcases, and inside was well over four-thousand yen.

"You guys," she called over the communicator, "you're not going to believe this, but I found money."

"Money?" Yukari asked over the communicator.

"Seriously?" Junpei asked.

"Okay, if we find more money, we'll split it all amongst the team, after we get back to the dorm, all right?" Minako suggested.

"Sure, sounds good," Yukari answered.

"A wise decision," Mitsuru voiced, "But you needn't worry about including me."

On Junpei's end Minako could hear him cheering and dancing, saying something about getting rich from exploring Tartrus because of all the stuff they were finding.

Which was true. Minako would have to visit the Police station and sell some of the weapons they'd found in there soon.

With little other distractions, the group continued their adventure through Tartrus, reaching their goal floor; fourteen. Mitsuru said there was only one large shadow in the center, but the three darted past the hall it was down and to the teleporter, heading back to the first floor, and then heading back to the dorm.

_(4/28) __EARLY MORNING_

That morning, Minako ran into Mitsuru at the gate. "Oh, good morning, Senpai," she greeted.

"Good morning," Mitsuru replied, "…Have you acclimated to our school yet?"

"Yes," Minako answered with a nod.

"Is see," Mitsuru mused, looking somewhat pleased, "You ability to adapt to new situations and environments is impressive. By the way, there's something I forgot to tell you…Most times you can find me in the lounge. However, I wont be there if there is something I must attend to. So, if I'm not in the lounge, we will explore Tartrus the following day."

"All right," Minako replied, "That sounds good to me."

"Now, let's hurry to class before we're late," she said.

LUNCH TIME

It was finally time for lunch after a long lecture. It would have been easier to get through class if the teacher had called on the student more often to get some interaction going. But no, it was just a straight lecture with examples on the board all the way through to lunch. Minako stepped outside the classroom and stretched. Heading down to the store just outside the stairs, Minako bought some bread and headed back up. Leaning against the wall by the door, Minako munched on her lunch, watching students pass by.

Junpei walked up, waving her way, and came to a stop by her. "Yo," he called, "Feels kinda weird runnin' into ya in the hall like this." He laughed, "Oh hey, you free today? Wanna go see a movie?"

Minako thought about it a bit. She really didn't know what she'd do after school that day. Since it was a Tuesday, she'd have Tennis practice – but Rio had said she didn't have to attend every practice, "I don't know yet," she answered.

"I see…Well, if you're free, let's go. Let me know after school," he suggested as he stepped around her and headed back into the classroom.

"All right, will do," she answered as he passed by her. Minako took a moment to finish up the bread she'd bought and then headed back inside the classroom since lunch was just about over.

AFTER SCHOOL

Minako looked around the classroom after classes for the day had ended. She didn't really feel like heading to tennis, especially since she'd been through Tartrus the previous night. Putting her things in her school bag, Minako got up and walked over to talk to Junpei, standing in the next row over.

"Hey, are you on your way home?" Junpei asked as Minako approached him.

"Yeah, wanna come?" Minako offered, "I decided to skip out on Tennis today, so…" she shrugged.

"Oh, really? Then let's stop by somewhere," he suggested with a grin.

They went to Tatsumi Port Island station, and to the movie theater called 'Screen Shot'. Junpei had insisted on going to see a movie together. "This is it!" he cheered excitedly, "'Double-Barreled Justice'! I've been looking forward to this coming out!" His eyes were lit with excitement just looking at the 'Now Playing' poster the theater had up outside the ticket windows.

"C'mon, let's go in!" Minako urged. She'd seen a few previews on it a few times when passing through the lounge when someone had left the television on. It had looked interesting, and now she was going to see if it was true or not.

"Ooh, are you looking forward to it too?" Junpei asked, grinning like a child about to open his Christmas presents. "All right, let's get some good seats!" Junpei was jittery, as if he couldn't wait to go inside. Which he was, to a point.

The two hurried inside and got good seats, right in the perfect center of the theater with the best view. The movie started…and well that's all she wrote for it. The movie played, they watched, it ended, they left the theater. Seeing the action scenes on the big screen was overwhelming, and the story was surprisingly complex.

"Hrm…" Junpei seemed to be lost in thought as they left the theater. "It was…Kinda not what I was expecting," he complained with a sigh. He cocked his head to the side, "The villain wasn't all that evil. It kinda killed it for me when he started talking about his tragic past…Is isnt cool if you have to beat somebody who didn't want to be a bad guy." Junpei looked rather upset and frustrated about it all, "Bad guys should be evil all the way to the core. It's just more satisfying." He shrugged, "Oh, you still got time, right?" he said, grinning and changing the subject, "Let's grab something to eat on the way back."

The two of them hopped on the Monorail and road it to the Iwatodai stop. They then crossed the street and entered Wild-duck Burger. They'd just gotten their food and sat down to eat when Junpei seemed to realize something. "Oh, crap… The guys at school might say some stuff if they see us together. I mean, it looks like there's a lot of guys interested in you." The grin seemed to fall from his face as he got a bit more serious, "Plus, the famous Yuka-tan and Mitsuru-senpai live in the same dorm, too." He sighed, "There are a lot of dudes who envy me because of that…"

Minako scoffed, shrugging her shoulders, "Let them be jealous," she challenged.

Junpei was grinning again after that comment. "Haha, yeah. It's not like any of this is my fault," he laughed. "Actually," he began again, getting somewhat serious once more, "You don't seem to be all that interested in guys. I mean, you're not all excited and asking me who's saying all this stuff…I mean, of course you aren't. No girl would be that desperate." Junpei nodded triumphantly, like he just gotten himself out of saying something stupid. "Also, I know you've probably got your hands full with your own stuff now." He paused a moment, "Actually, the same goes for me, too…"

"Yeah, but you know what, that's stuff's gonna clear up soon," Minako said, "Either that or we'll figure out a way to manage it without much trouble, and then we'll be able to do more fun stuff."

Junpei laughed a bit, "Yeah, we'll just have to see, wont we?" He shook his head, plastering that smile of his back on his face, "…Well, forget about that stuff. Want more fries? You don't mind sharing with me, right?"

After eating their food, Minako and Junpei headed back to the dorm, chatting the whole way back.

EVENING

"Welcome back," Mitsuru called to the two as they entered. "For your information," she began, looking at Minako, "The internet line, which was ripped apart by the Shadow will be fixed tomorrow. If you have a computer in your room, you should be able to connect." Mitsuru sighed then, "…Well, that takes care of everything that was damaged…except of course, Akihiko's rib cage," she added with something akin to a smirk on her face.

"Oh right," Junpei looked like a light bulb had turned on in his head. "All this talk about the internet reminded me of something. I was totally addicted to this one online game for a while." He looked to Minako, who was looking at him rather curiously, "It's called "Innocent Sin Online," and it's pretty fun." He paused a moment to think about it, "I haven't touched it since I got here…Maybe I should log in sometime."

Junpei went to go sit down, and Minako headed off to talk to Mitsuru about heading to Tartrus after picking up a couple of quick 'yes'es from Junpei and Yukari. They headed off to Tartrus when the time came, watched the tower rise form their school, and then headed inside. That was the night they planned to fight the third Guardian before the barrier.

"You guys ready to do this?" she asked as they approached the teleporter…elevator…..glowy thing.

"What's the plan for this one?" Yukari asked, checking to make sure she'd brought all her equipment .

Minako paused to open her bag, "Same as last time, just keep tying until something works, if not….then we gotta hang in there until it's dust." Pulling two smaller bags out of the one she carried, she handed one to each. "Here, I've evenly distributed the supplies between these three bags. I was doing a little testing on the items we found. The medicine helps heal, like Dia does, so use this if you don't think you want to waste energy, Yukari."

"Got it," she answered, nodding.

"I tried the 'Snuff Soul' stuff – it works like an energy drink, so if you start getting tired and we're not ready to head back, drink some and you'll be able to last a bit longer," she informed, "The red beads are health restorers too. Just set them down and stomp on them for yourself, or toss it to a partner to help them out when they're hurting. The same goes for the revival beads – the blue ones – just throw them at a fallen teammate and hopefully it'll be helpful. I still have to test some, but we wont be able to unless in battle, so I've held onto those just in case."

"Wow, you're really takin' this seriously…" Junpei mused, looking rather amazed.

Minako laughed a bit embarrassed, "W-Well, I do have to take care of my team if I'm leader, right? Since I'm in charge when we're here in Tartrus, it's my responsibility to look after everyone and make sure we all get back safely."

"All right, let's stop wasting time and get this over with before the Dark Hour ends," Yukari insisted.

So the three headed up to the fourteenth floor via glowing elevator thing, and peered down the hallway to see the Guardian they had to fight before it spotted them. It looked… really freaking weird. The wheels were some weird things lined with feet, spikes for arms, and it was all white and blue aside from the yellow mask of a face.

"You think we can do it?" Junpei asked quietly.

"We're gonna have to," Minako sighed. "Yukari, you're on healing, try and stay behind us, and when you get the chance…" she trailed off, looking over her shoulder at the other brunette.

"Yeah, I got it," Yukari answered.

The three took a deep breath, bracing themselves before charging in. As it turned out, they couldn't find any weakness for the damn thing, so they were stuck with fighting as hard as they could, while Yukari backed them up with healing spells and items. As luck would have it, just as things were looking their worst, Junpei managed to dodge an attack from the shadow. The miss caused it to lose its balance and fall over. Taking the chance, they charged in, Yukari staying behind from being knocked down with a Mazio the Shadow had dished out earlier.

The battle was long and tiring, but thanks once again to Yukari's healing and support, they managed to take it down. As soon as they did, the three sighed, relaxing. Minako sat on her butt, leaning back on her hands behind her. "Haaa, please no more…" she sighed, "How much further to the barrier, Mitsuru-senpai?" she asked.

"A few more floors…" she answered as she scanned the floors above them, "There seem to be less enemies too."

"You guys wanna see if we can make it to the barrier with as little battles as possible, or should we head back?" Minako asked.

"If it's only a few floors I'm sure we can make it," Junpei said. He opened the bag she'd handed him before they had headed inside. Pulling out one of the 'snuff soul' bottles, he tossed it to Minako, "Here, use that, it should help, right?" he said with a grin.

Minako laughed, unscrewing the cap to the small bottle, "Right, thanks, Junpei." She drank the liquid inside, closing the bottle up and tossing it in her bag. Feeling ready to tackle those last few floors, Minako hopped up and dusted her skirt off before picking her Naginata up.

After hurrying to the next floor, the three only got caught in one battle before they found the stairs. Of course, there was a shadow between them and the stairs. Waiting for the right moment, Minako made the call and the three of them made a break for it. The shadow noticed them, and tried to follow, but for some reason refused to follow them up the stairs. Of course, after the three stopped laughing at their stunt and actually turned around, all they saw was a wide floor that ended with blocked off stairs. The floor was littered with two pools of blood that took up half of the floor on either end.

"It's a dead end…" Mitsuru said, "Good work. Return to the entrance."

Well that wasn't too hard. Minako took one step towards the access point when she saw a briefcase. "Huh? What's this?" she asked. Walking over to that briefcase, she knelt and opened it up. Inside was an old document. Minako looked over it for a second before carefully putting it away in her bag. She would take the time to read it later.

"All right, let's head back for the night," Minako announced.

The three used the access point to get back, where they were greeted by Mitsuru and congratulated again before they headed back to the dorm.

_(4/29) __EARLY MORNING_

The next morning, Minako woke up with the sun in her eyes. With a groan, she rolled over, pulling the covers over her head. It was Showa Day, therefore, there was no school. Minako was sleepy – but damn that sun, it had awakened her. She was just about to go back to sleep when her phone rang. Jumping up to grab it off her nightstand, she fell out of her bed with a _thud_, her blankets tangled up with her in the awkward manner she landed on her back.

"Ow – shit," she grumbled, rubbing her head with one hand as she flipped open her phone and answered the call, "Hello?"

"Yo, Junpei here. You got some time?" Junpei's voice called through the receiver.

"It's okay, what's up?" she asked as she rolled out of her blankets and kicked them back up on her bed.

"Wanna do something today?" he asked enthusiastically.

Minako thought about it a moment. She could sleep….or she could go have fun with Junpei for the day. "Sure I'll come, just let me get dressed, I just barely woke up," she answered, running her hand through her hair to check for any tangles.

"All right!" Junpei cheered, "I'll be waitin' downstairs, then," he answered, hanging up to let her dress.

She hurried to grab some clothes and change. Brushing her hair, the brunette put it up the same way she did every day. She brushed her teeth hurriedly and grabbed her scarf on her way out the door. Breaking into a sprint, Minako headed downstairs, almost tripping three times on her way.

By time Minako reached the lounge, Junpei was waiting for her, sitting on the couch in the lounge. "Hey, you ready?" he called when he spotted her. He hopped up off the couch, stuffing his hands in his coat pocket. "You get dressed pretty fast – I thought I'd have to wait a lot longer for you to come down," he laughed.

"It's because I'm just awesome like that," Minako answered with a wink, "So, what do we have planned for today?"

Junpei grinned, "Well first, let's get some grub, I'm hungry."

"Sounds good to me!" Minako replied, following him out the door a few seconds later.

They'd ended up going to the Wakatsu Restaurant at the Iwatodai station. It was up on the second floor, just below the sweet shop. The food there was good, and well balanced for a great meal. They each paid for their own food and had a seat. Apparently both were quite starved, because neither said a word as they ate their food – well, more like devoured it.

Junpei sighed when he finished with his plate, leaning back in his seat, "That was great," he groaned with a grin, "I cant eat anymore." He seemed very satisfied with his meal, of course then he looked at Minako's plate and saw it, too, was empty. "But man," he said, looking shocked, "You ate a lot, too. You ordered the same stuff as me, right? How in the world did all that fit inside your thin body..?" Junpei – though shocked- looked rather impressed as well.

You see, there was this thing called a high metabolism that most thin girls had… Minako just shrugged, "I was just hungry…"

"Remember how I told you the other day that there are guys that're interested in you?" Junpei brought up, "I bet they'd be shocked if they saw how much you eat."

Minako thought on it a moment. Most girls did eat very little to seem lady like, but Minako…. If she didn't have enough food in her, then she wouldn't last through the day. She remembered the first time she tried to 'diet' like other girls…about halfway through the day she got lightheaded and collapsed in the street. That didn't blow over all that well with the guardians who she'd been living with… "Meh, like I care," she retorted to his statement, batting away the thought with a hand.

"You got a point," Junpei laughed, "Worrying about stuff like that'll just ruin the good food you're eating. Also, you seem happy when you're eating. It makes me feel good watching you."

They spent hours hanging out and chatting, and eventually the sun seemed to be falling out of the sky. Junpei and Minako reluctantly headed back to the dorm, but when they got back, it seemed empty.

"No one's back yet," Junpei mused, "and we have school in the morning. We probably shouldn't go to Tartrus tonight."

"Yeah," Minako agreed, "You're right."

"Okay, then I'm gonna hit the sack," the male informed. Junpei patted her on the shoulder as he started walking off to the stairs. "Today was fun, thanks, Minako-chan. G'night."

"Night!" she called back. Wandering around the lounge a bit, Minako watched some television until Yukari got home. Looking at the clock, she decided she should just go to bed, so she headed up to her room.

_(4/30) __MORNING_

That day it was History. Mr. Ono stood at the podium, the same Sengoku Era helm atop his head as he wore every day. Minako wondered if the guy even showered with the damn thing on. Maybe he was also bald under there. Or, what if he was so obsessed that he shaved his head bald, poured super glue on his scalp, and then stuck the helmet on as if to make it his natural hair.

She was so lost in ridiculous thought that she almost missed him starting the lecture.

"Let's see…Today's lecture will cover ancient tombs," he frowned, looking at the book, "I dunno, do you think any of this is relevant? I mean, I can make better tomb decorations than the ancients. Cant wait until we get to the Sengoku Era…It's so exciting!" The man seemed to squirm excitedly in his spot, as if it were going to start at any moment and he would witness the class turn into an army of samurai and attack each other. "Speaking of the Sengoku era, there was a general who was called "the war hawk of the battlefield." And he…"

Mr. Ono suddenly jumped into another lecture about the Sengoku era…which was _not_ the topic he was supposed to be teaching. Minako covered her mouth as she yawned. She liked exciting history, but the way Mr. Ono always rambled on about it made her bored out of her mind. Crossing her arms on her desk, Minako closed her eyes and went to sleep.

AFTER SCHOOL

After school ended for the day, Mianko's cell phone rang. Pulling it out, she flipped it open and answered, "Hello?"

"Hello?" a deliciously familiar voice answered her, "This is Theodore."

She didn't know _how_ he'd gotten her cell phone number, but Minako was _not_ about to complain.

"Please come visit the Velvet Room," he requested, "There is a matter we need to discuss."

"How am I supposed to get there?" she asked. The only physical door to the Velvet Room she knew was the one at the bottom of Tartrus.

"You may use the alternate entrance located in Paulownia Mall," he informed, "All you must do it find the door…I'll see you soon."

The call ended, and Minako closed her phone, pausing a moment to think. Well there would be no time to waste. There was no need to keep the man waiting. As she hopped up, Minako crossed the room towards the door.

"Hey, Minako-chan," Junpei called, trotting up to her to catch her at the door. "You want to hang out?" he asked.

Well crap. "I'd love to, but first I have to take care of some errands at Paulownia Mall," she answered. "As soon as I'm done I'll meet you outside the school gates?" She offered, "Oh, crap, there's tennis practice today too," she remembered, smacking her forehead for forgetting. "No, you know what, just meet me outside the school gates in like… twenty minuets, okay? I'll try not to be too long."

Junpei laughed, "All right, but don't rush yourself. I'll meet you at the gates later."

Minako smiled, "Great! Thanks, Junpei-kun." She turned and hurried out of the classroom, apologized to Rio who she ran into in the hallway, and hurried off school grounds. At Paulownia Mall, Minako wandered around, looking for any suspicious glowing doors. She didn't know just were to look, but she hoped she'd find it soon. It would have been nice if Theo had given her directions, but maybe he was trying to play hard to get. Well, either way, it only took her five minuets to find the little back alley by the stairs up to the Karaoke bar. Slipping back there, she looked around, and sure enough there was a glowing door.

She pulled out the Velvet Key and unlocked the door, stepping inside. The door swung close behind her, and she walked over to take her usual seat. Theo was already waiting for her, standing more off to the side of the table between him and Igor than he normally way. He was closer to her, to speak easier to her.

"I'm sorry to call for you like this," he apologized with his usual polite bow, "To tell you the truth… there is a favor I'd like to ask of you. If you don't mind, would you please accept my requests?" he asked. "Some missions will be special, and require you to escort me around, but…"

Oh, Minako wouldn't mind doing that. "I don't mind," Minako replied.

"Of course, there will be a suitable reward upon completion of the request," he informed, "I wish to see your strength with my own eyes…Well then, I will anxiously await your assistance in these matters. Now that I have spoken my piece…How may I help you?"

"May I see what requests I may take?" she asked.

"Certainly," Theodore replied. Walking – no, more like gliding, his movements were so smooth – he made his way over to her and offered a smaller book he was carrying with him. "This book here contains the requests I have at the moment, you may take on only three at a time," he informed, "I wouldn't want to overwhelm you with my requests."

Minako smiled, "That's fine," she answered, opening the booklet and taking a look inside. "Oh, this first old Document one…" she said, pointing to it, "is that the document I found in Tartrus?"

Theo looked at her somewhat surprised, "Why, yes, that would be it."

Setting the book on her lap, the brunette opened her book bag and pulled it out. She'd read it during lunch, but it was just some….random scribbling. "Here."

"Have you read it already?" he asked, "You really should take a look at it if you haven't already."

"It's all right," she answered.

He smiled softly at her, "Please take this as your reward," he said, handing her a bead chain. "If used in battle, this will restore the health of all your teammates fighting along side you."

"Oh," Minako smiled, "That will come in handy, thank you!" Looking back at the book after putting the bead chain away in her bag, she noticed one that looked rather interesting to her.

'I'd like to visit Paulownia Mall.'

Minako looked at her watch. She still had enough time to show Theo around and meet up with Junpei on time. "Hey, Theo, why don't we do this one right now," she said, pointing to his request to visit the Mall. "I've got some time before I have to meet up with Junpei, so I can show you around the mall."

Theo smiled, "Thank you very much," he said, taking the book from her and placing it on the table, "Well, then, please lead the way."

Leaving the Velvet Room, Theodore followed Minako out. "So this is the Paulownia Mall," he mused as they walked out from the back alley where the door was. He looked around curiously, his eyes examining everything they could. "…Indeed, it's exactly as I imagined."

"Are you excited to be here?" the brunette asked, seeing his eyes lit up in excitement despite his calm words.

He laughed, "Pshaw…I'm not that easily amused." Theo mumbled to himself a bit, Minako unable to hear him, when he suddenly seemed to notice something. "What is that over there?" he asked, pointing at the water fountain in the center of the mall. He walked over to it, Minako close behind. He looked at the water rather confused, "An aqueous duct in a place like this…?" He seemed to think about it for a moment, "The dwellers of this world must get thirsty easily."

Minako covered her mouth to try and keep from laughing at such an amusing observation, "I don't think that's it," she pointed out.

Theo looked surprised that she'd corrected him. He was at a loss for a second, trying to figure out what to say, "I-I know it's true purpose, of course." However, he didn't sound all that confident in his words, "Why… it's mean to wash one's hands!"

Again, Minako was trying very hard not to laugh out loud at his obviously wrong observations. She controlled herself, clearing her throat, "That's not it, Theo."

Theo looked rather embarrassed and upset. Upset that he had been incorrect, and embarrassed that he'd been caught. He cleared his throat, "It was only my small joke," he said, attempting to cover up his flawed information. "So…" he began hesitantly, "Wh-what is it actually for?"

Minako smiled then, "It's just a bit of scenery."

"A bit of scenery…?" Theo echoed slowly, thinking about it. "…I see." He looked distraught for some reason. Minako suspected it was because he'd made himself look like a fool in front of her. Of course, it was gone as soon as it was there, and he was looking in another direction, "Hm…? And what, pray tell, is this facility here?" he asked. Suddenly, Theo was walking towards the police station.

Curious, he looked at the photographs posted outside the station. "These photographs…" he muttered mostly to himself, "Most Wanted…Reward…?" he read off the photos. "I see, so the concept of subjugation requests is not unknown here…"

"Well yeah," Minako answered, "But we don't kill them."

"Ah?" Theo looked at her when she had informed him on that little fact. "In that case, you must have to capture them alive… Only a skilled hunter could accomplish it," he said with a triumphant nod. "If there are hunters of such talent in this world as well, I may want to make a few requests of my own…But on second thought, perhaps not," he mused, closing his eyes a moment. When he opened them again, his gold eyes turned their gaze to her, "I already have you, our finest guest, for that."

Minako felt her face flush at the way he looked at her – or maybe it was because she was also taking the last line of his words in the wrong context.

Before Minako had a chance to recover, Theo was looking off to somewhere else, "Hm…? What is that?" he asked. Walking over to the closed doors of Escapade, Theo looked at it in awe, "This…" he began breathlessly, "Could this be 'club' of rumor…?"

She'd followed after him of course, and his odd question helped her gather herself. "Rumor?" she asked, echoing his words.

"Yes, I heard no end of it…" Theo explained, "'Dancers, dictated by the sway of one's inner passions…A subterranean garden of uninhibited spectacle.' …Though this marks my first time seeing it in person. Well then, let us venture in…" He went to open the door, only to find it locked. Utter shock seemed to write itself across his face, "…It's closed…! This cant be…" Theo looked disappointed, "It seems…I have no choice but to turn back…" He looked like he was about to cry.

"It's okay, Theo," Minako reassured, patting him on the shoulder, "I'll come get you sometime in the evening and show it to you when it's open."

"Would you really?" Theo asked, looking at her hopefully.

Minako nodded with a smile, "Of course I would." Taking his hand in hers, she led him away from the club, "Here, why don't I show you the arcade instead for now?"

"Ar…cade…?" he echoed as he followed after her hesitantly. "A series of arches?" he asked confused, "A-All right, let us investigate."

The brunette laughed a bit as she led him over to the other side of the mall where the 'Game Panic' was.

His curiosity seemed sparked once again, and Theo made his way over to examine the crane game outside the arcade. "'Bird controlling game'…?" he asked, trying to translate the way the game worked by it's name alone. "Hmm…The things inside this case…Those are birds?" He looked a bit confused at this, "They look to my eye more like stuffed animals made of cloth…" Theo took a moment to think, "Is this, then, a simulator to practice catching real cranes…?"

Again, he was distracted before Minako could correct him, so she let him be and allowed him to entertain her with his own musings. The bellboy looked up and turned, "Ah… Excuse me. I note another aquatic pool over here." Stepping away from the crane machine, Theo walked over towards the fountain in the corner of Paulownia Mall. He seemed restless as he stared at the water's surface.

Minako, who had obviously followed him wondering what odd thing he'd say next, looked at him curiously, "Theo?" she called.

Seeming to ignore her words, Theo looked around for a second, and then abruptly stuck his hand into the water…glove and all.

"Th-Theo, what are you…?"

"It's eight degrees Celsius," He said, looking quite confident.

Minako stared at Theo. Was that really it? He'd just wanted to know the temperature? But rather than ask him in a way that would just upset him again, the brunette decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and believe him. "You can tell?" she asked, kind of impressed if he was right.

"Of course I can," he answered proudly. Pulling his hand out of the water, he shook it twice and it seemed perfectly dry then.

"Woah, how'd you do that?" she asked.

Theo looked at her oddly, "Why, what do you mean?"

Minako laughed, shaking her head, "Never mind, it's all right."

"Shall we be on our way?" he asked then as they walked toward the fountain in the center of the mall. "I'd hate to keep you out for too late…" He paused to look around at the Mall once again, looking rather pleased, "This world has it's charms. I…would relish the chance to visit it again sometime. Thank you very much for today."

"You're welcome, Theo," the brunette replied. "I'll be more than happy to show you around else where next time you're free to explore."

Theo smiled and offered her his arm, "I would be delighted if you could, but for now, let us return to the Velvet Room."

Taking his offered arm after a hesitant moment, Minako walked with Theo back to the hidden door to the Velvet Room. He walked her to her seat and let her sit. Afterwards he walked to the table and picked up the two booklets before walking over to his master. He spoke quietly to Igor, whispering in the man's ear, but to whatever it was he said, he was answered with a simple and blunt 'no' twice in a row. Trying not to look saddened, Theo walked back to where Minako sat, "Thank you for showing me around Paulownia Mall. I asked my master to install a fountain into the Velvet Room just now…Unfortunately, he refused before I even finished asking the question. I'm currently negotiating with him to at least set up a 'crane catcher' machine. Now as for a reward, I've prepared something special. With this, you can fuse Hua Po." He smiled that charming smile of his. "She is a charming Persona, combining the looks of a sweet girl with powerful abilities. Please take this as your reward." He handed her a small Cheongsam.

"Um, thank you," Minako answered, putting the thing away in her bag. "I should get going, or I'll make Junpei wait. Today was fun Theo, I cant wait until next time."

No really, she couldn't.

Hopping up, Minako trotted out of the room. As soon as she was outside, she was running back to the school to get there in time. Theo had wandered around longer than she thought he would have. Junpei was waiting at the school gates for her, just like he'd promised. She slowed to a stop before him, leaning over with her hands on her knees to catch her breath. "S-sorry," she said breathlessly, "I hope I didn't make you wait too long." She looked up with a hesitant smile.

Junpei chuckled, "Don't worry about it. C'mon, let's go somewhere." He waited for her to catch her breath before leading the way to wherever it was he wanted to go. The two of them ended up heading back to Paulownia Mall, where she'd just been. Of course, it wasn't going to be like babysitting a child like it had been watching Theo run around all excited.

Junpei walked them to the Changall Café, where the two of them sat down at a table and ordered drinks. Junpei was looking around a bit curious. "Whoa, so this is what it's like inside this café…" He noticed Minako giving him an odd look at what he'd said. "Oh, guys cant really come to places like this with each other," he explained a little embarrassed.

"Where do guy friends go?" she asked, taking a sip of her drink.

He had to think a moment about it, "Uhh… Karaoke, Wild-duck Burger, the manga café…" Suddenly he grinned, laughing a bit, "…That sounds a lot lamer now that I say it out loud." He took a sip of his coffee, the look on his face seeming to brighten a bit. "Still, this is some damn good coffee," he commented, "You can tell that the guy who owns this place is really picky about the beans. He probably roasts them all differently using special waters for each type…"

Minako looked rather surprised, "You know a lot about coffee," she commented, impressed.

Again Junpei laughed, "…I just really like coffee. That's all." It was like her comment had given him a little ego boost – he seemed proud that he'd impressed her. "Oh yeah," he began, looking at Minako's cup, "What did you order, Minako-chan?"

She smiled, "I got Coffee too," she answered. "I really like their coffee here."

"Oh, you got the same thing as I did, then." Of course, Junpei was drinking his black while Minako had asked for some milk in hers. "I like the bitter taste. I feel all tough and cool when I drink it."

Both Minako and Junpei seemed to laugh at that silly remark before chatting about different things. The topics were wide and random; school, homework, sports clubs, Tartrus, what manga they read, favorite foods, etc.

"By the way, are there any guys you're interested in?" Junpei asked. He suddenly grinned, "If you want, I'll totally help you out. It'd be fun being your Cupid." He laughed in a carefree manner, "Oh yeah, what about Akihiko-senpai? You know girls are crazy about him. You'd better be careful that he doesn't play you." Junpei seemed to realize what he was saying then and sighed, "Wait… Akihiko-san's not that type of guy, so you don't need to worry. It's like the opposite… He'd be way too serious if you were in a relationship. Actually, why don't you try and get him? Seriously?" He thought on it a moment like it was some sort of plot to a manga, "A transfer student swoops in and steals the heart of the boy every girl wants…Don't you think that would totally be cool? It's be something right out of a manga!" he laughed.

"Hmmm…?" Minako looked at him for a moment and then took a sip of her coffee, "I'm not interested though…" she murmured. It wasn't anything against Akihiko himself, but she wasn't interested in him in that way. He was a cool guy, but she wasn't falling head over heels for him any time soon.

"Aww, really?" Junpei asked, still grinning, "I thought that would be fu - - " He cut himself odd, looking rather shocked at what he was about to say and how it could be taken, "I-I mean, I'm not trying to get you to do this just for my own laughs, 'kay? It's be better if we all just got along together, right?" he corrected himself, flustered.

The conversation drifted off in another direction then, and soon enough both of them were grinning and laughing. But soon their conversation came to an end when Junpei noticed the time, "Oh crud, is it already this late?" He grinned, "Man, I really enjoy being around you for some reason. Well, let's head back." Leaving behind their cups, Junpei and Minako left the café and headed back to the dorm.

EVENING

"…Where have you been?" Akihiko greeted when the two entered the front doors of the dorm.

Junpei grinned, "Oh, nowhere, just hanging out after school."

"I'm going to head up and do my homework, but first; you guys up for Tartrus tonight?" Minako asked.

Yukari frowned, walking in from her spot in the dining room all by herself, "Well… I dunno, we did reach the barrier already. It's not like we can go any further right now…"

"Yeah," Junpei agreed, "unless that thing goes away, we cant go any further."

Minako nodded, "True. All right then. I guess we'll take it easy for a while. But if we get bored, let's go there to at least train so we don't get sloppy and careless when fighting." With that said, Minako headed off to her room to go do her homework.

_(5/1) __EARLY MORNING_

That morning, Yukari walked with Minako to school. The two chatted the whole way over, and before they knew it they were at the school. Of course, Yukari was in the middle of a story when they got there. " And so, as that person put it…" It was then that Yukari noticed they were passing through the gates to the school, she had been so wrapped up in her story, "…Yikes, we're at school already! That reminds me, it's gotten so warm lately. Well, I guess today is the start of May after all."

Oh, right, it was May 1st, wasn't it? Minako was surprised, "Time flies!"

"Seriously!" Yukari agreed, "A lot's happened!" She looked around, suddenly looking slightly worried, "Ya know, it doesn't seem like the number of Apathy Syndrome cases has been decreasing lately… We're the only ones who can fight the Shadows, so…" She sighed, "I guess we should train more, so we're ready if anything like _that_ comes up again." She was referring to last month when the dorm had been attacked. "…Me especially. I don't wanna be a burden on everyone else. …Oh, c'mon. Let's go."

The two of them headed inside just before the first bell rang.

AFTER SCHOOL

The classes had ended for the day, so Minako had sat back a moment, trying to think of what to do. She'd decided she might as well stop by the Student Council room since it was a Friday when she ran into Junpei and Yukari and decided to talk for a bit.

"FYI," Junpei interrupted quickly, "Akihiko-san's at the hospital getting a check up. He called me earlier, and asked me to bring him something." He stretched, grinning, "Yup, he knows who to count on."

"He only asked you cuz you don't have anything else to do after school," Yukari pointed out.

Junpei looked at Yukari rather insulted, "H-Hey, I resent that."

Yukari giggled, "I'm just kidding."

Yeah, Minako totally bought that, but she didn't say anything.

"So, what'd he want you to bring?" She asked.

"The class roster for 2-E," Junpei answered.

Yukari looked confused, "What's he want that for?" She paused a moment, thinking, "…Well, I don't have practice today, so I'll go with you." She turned to look at Minako, "You're coming too, right?"

Minako thought about it a second. Hospitals were kind of …boring…and smelled gross. But it was better than sitting through a Student Council meeting. "Definitely!" she agreed with a smile.

"Cool," Yukari replied, as if she was glad Minako was going so she wouldn't have to deal with Junpei on her own.

Junpei looked at the two like they were plotting something evil against him. "W-Wait a minuet…"

"What?" Yukari asked, "Is there a problem?"

His brows drew together in a frustrated look. "Well, it was _me_ he asked…" He complained.

After settling Junpei's complaints about being the one to deliver what Akihiko had asked for, the three headed out to the Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. They got the room number from the nurse and headed up to it, keeping quiet. When they reached the room, Junpei opened the door and the three of them walked in. A young man was there, sitting on the bed instead of Akihiko.

It took Minako a moment, but that was, for sure, the guy she'd seen twice before at Hagakure Ramen.

He looked somewhat scary. Or at least that was the aura he gave off. The black beanie he wore was pulled down just to his eyebrows, long brown hair draping down from underneath it to stop just past his shoulders in back. Eyes that matched the hair looked over at the three, seeming stuck in a permanent glare and his mouth set in a frown. He kept his hands in the pockets of his burgundy pea-coat, sitting a bit hunched over.

Junpei was easily intimidated by the guys appearance. "Umm…Is…Akihiko-senpai…?" he seemed to hesitate when the guy's glare didn't waver, "…In this room? By any chance?"

Footsteps approached from behind them, and the charmingly familiar voice of Akihiko caught the three's attention. "What are all of you guys doing here?" he asked.

All three second-years turned, smiling at the sliver-haired boxer. "We came to see you," Minako answered with a smile.

Akihiko smiled, looking at the three like they were being silly, but was happy to see them all the same. "I'm just here for a check up," he insisted.

"Is that it Aki?" a deep voice asked from behind them. The stranger in the room had spoken, directing his question to Akihiko. The three then looked back at him, surprised that he'd spoken.

The smile on the boxer's lips seemed to vanish, "Yeah," he answered, "Thanks."

The stranger scoffed, apparently upset over something, "I don't have time for this shit," he grumbled. Getting up from his seat, he started to leave the room. However, when he passed by the group, he paused, stopping to look directly at Minako, "You…"

Minako jumped a bit, surprised he'd addressed her. She didn't think he really remembered the two times they'd run into each other. "Ah, y-yes?" she asked.

He was silent a moment, his eyes locked on Minako's, but then shook his head. "Never mind…" Turning away, the visitor walked to the door, pulled it open, and left without any further distractions.

Junpei watched the stranger leave, looking shocked. He also seemed like he was relieved the guy had left. "Wh-Who was that?" he asked.

"A friend from school…" Akihiko answered, then hesitantly added, "sort of," at the end. "You know how the number of Apathy Syndrome cases has been increasing? Well, he knows a few people who are suffering from it, so I was asking him about it." After his explanation, he seemed to remember why they – or at least one of them – were here in the first place. "Hey, Junpei, did you bring what I asked?"

Junpei grinned, looking like he felt all important, "Of course, Senpai."

Akihiko smiled, "Sorry for the trouble." He took the roster from Junpei, glancing it over once before looking to the other three, "Well then, let's get going!" He stretched, ready to head out.

"Uh, you shouldn't move your arm…" Junpei said, like he was afraid it would break at any second.

"It's nothing," Akihiko insisted. "I've wasted enough time already. I need to get back to my training."

Yukari spoke up then, the conversation reminding her of a question she'd been wanting to ask. "By the way, Senpai, why boxing?"

"You mean, why did I choose that sport?" He asked. "Well…" he paused, trying to find the words to explain himself, "It's not the sport itself I like; I just wanted to learn how to fight." He looked down, trying to hide the pain in his eyes, "I know what it's like to feel powerless…and I don't want to feel that way again." He shook off that look, bringing that fighter's smile back to his lips, "Besides, I'm curious to see how strong I can get. It's like a game, only I'm competing against myself."

"That's an interesting way of looking at it," Junpei mused, "Ya know, I'm into games too…" he grinned.

Yukari scoffed, "Yeah, _video_ games."

Junpei seemed to not get her point, still grinning and smiling. "Oh, but I like fighting games too."

Yukari rolled her eyes, "…whatever."

Together, the four of them headed back to the dorm.

EVENING

Mitsuru went into a lecture that night about how they should train because of the rise of Apathy Syndrome cases. So that night, the three of them went to Tartrus. Mitsuru was support as usual for Yukari, Junpei, and Minako. Before heading out, Minako decided to pick up a few requests from Theo. Like finding a beetle shell, as well as finding a sword called a 'Jizumaru.' Both turned out to be a pain in the butt.

It was like once Minako wanted to find the beetle shaped shadows, they were never there. The same with finding the golden chests – and when she did find one, she couldn't help but wonder why it seemed to have it's own little fog machine inside. Either way, when she got both items, she insisted that they were done for the day. One word from Mitsuru feeling like 'death was near' and Minako was ready to bolt.

The three bolted for the access point and took it down to the bottom floor. Asking her teammates to give her a second, she went to the Velvet room to hand over the requested items before they headed back.

_(5/2) __EARLY MORNING_

"Golden Week starts tomorrow!" the gossip-loving girl cheered. Minako heard her easily on her way in to school that morning, "Have you got any plans?" she asked.

The guy scratched the back of his head, "Ehh… Not really," he answered honestly, "But I'm not gonna miss tomorrow's show!"

The girl seemed to light up, knowing just what show he was talking about. "Oh, yeah! You mean Tanaka's show, right? When I hear that jingle, I cant resist buying something… I never miss it when it's on Sunday afternoons. I'm about to go broke!"

The first bell rang, so Minako followed the two gossips into the school to trade out their shoes.

AFTER SCHOOL

Classes passed by quickly…probably because she fell asleep in class again. Minako sighed, wondering what she should do after Junpei told her what the assignments for that night's homework was. It was a Saturday, because of that there was no Tennis, no Student Council… Well, she may as well head over to the bookstore and say hi to the old couple there.

Taking a moment to stretch as she stood, Minako headed out of the classroom and down to the shoe lockers. She was half hoping that Junpei or even Yukari would walk by and ask if she were headed home, but since they didn't, it wasn't that big of a deal. She headed out the door and off to the station to get to the book store.

Inside the book store Minako came upon the site of Bunkichi and Mitsuko looking for something. "That's strange…" he muttered to himself, "I swear I left it around here…But, I cant seem to find it."

"Looking for something?" Minako asked, stepping up next to him to see where he was looking.

"Minako-chan?" Bunkichi looked over at her, seemingly surprised. "How'd you know I was looking for something? Are you psychic?" he scratched his slowly balding head in frustration. "I'm looking for my glasses… No, not my glasses - - my wallet… I cant seem to find it.

"I'll help look for it," Minako offered with a smile.

Bunkichi looked surprised yet again, "Wow! Minako-chan, you really can read minds! I was just thinking it'd be nice if someone have us a hand."

With renewed energy at Minako's offer of assistance, the three started searching the store for Bunkichi's wallet. They looked over and under piles, shifting books to different places, only to move them back when looking elsewhere. Minako disturbed one of the piles of books, and it tumbled over, the mountain avalanching on her. She fell with a yelp, covering her head, and then laughing as she pulled an open hard cover off her shoulder. The old couple looked worried as they apologized and helped dig her out, but Minako merely giggled and said everything was okay.

It was a few minuets after that, that they were just about ready to give up their search. Bunkichi sighed, "Where could it be…? …Wait, what were we looking for?"

"Konnichiwa, 'ello!" an accented voice called into the shop as the door opened with a chime. A young blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy in a black long sleeve shirt walked in. "I found zis on ze ground outside! Eez it yours?" he asked, a thick French accent playing on his words. He held out a wallet, offering it to the old man.

"Wow! This is it!" Bunkichi exclaimed with a smile, "I've been looking for this wallet everywhere! Well, it's not a golden wallet, but I'm still happy to have it back!"

The blonde foreigner seemed to notice Minako then, turning to face her. "Sumimasen, excuse me…" he began, "Arent you ze transfer student everyone eez talking about?" He suddenly seemed excited, smiling at her, "I go to ze same school - - Gekkoukan!"

Minako smiled at the foreign boy, "What's your name?"

The boy's smile seemed to grow that much more, "I came 'ere from France to study abroad. My name eez Andre Laurent Jean Geraux. But, zey call me "Bebe"!

Minako laughed a bit. She would have had a hard time saying that name herself. It was a good thing there was an easier name to call him, "Nice to meet you, Bebe."

"Hajime mashite, it eez nice to meet you too!" he replied, excited to be making a new friend. "I work in ze Home Economics Room every day. If you get bored, come say 'ello! I 'ope to see you zere. Sayonara, goodbye!" With a cheerful wave, the French boy turned and left the store, heading off to do whatever he'd been going to do when he'd found the wallet.

"Well…" Mitsuko mused with a soft smile on her wrinkled face, "He seemed like an interesting young man."

Bunkichi wasn't even paying attention. He was looking in his wallet for something, looking quite frustrated that he couldn't find it yet. "Hmm… I thought I put it in my wallet so I wouldn't lose it…" His face seemed to light up when he came across what he was looking for, "…Ah, here it is! I knew it was in here!" He pulled a key out from the depths of his wallet, seeming to admire it for a moment.

Mitsuko looked a bit pale, "…Dear? Is that key for…?"

"Come on, dear, you know what it is," the old man answered, "It's the key for our son's car." He smiled a bit, "Seeing Minako-chan reminded me of how things used to be…I havent heard the roar of the engine in a long time. How do I look, dear?"

"Please don't!" Mitsuko looked down, her brows pulling together in a pained expression. "Why must you get into a car! Do you want me to end up all alone!"

Minako was a bit worried, looking between the two, "What about a car?" she asked.

Mitsuko seemed to remember that Minako was there, "Um, Minako-chan…I'm sorry for raising my voice. Did I scare you?"

Bunkichi looked saddened then, "Our son… Remember what I told you? How he passed away…" he sighed, "On the way home from work, he got into an accident… He was hit by a dump truck driver who was drunk on the job…"

"Oh…" Minako felt bad for prying now, "I'm sorry to hear that…" she murmured.

The old man looked even sadder than her, hanging his head in shame. "Minako-chan, please slap me… Slap me for being an insensitive fool…With all my excitement, I forgot to consider how my wife might feel… I'm such a… I'm such a…"

Minako was not about to slap the old man, he hadnt done it on purpose. She hated to leave at such a time, but when she looked out the window, it was already getting dark.

Bunkichi tried to lift their spirits then, "…Hm? Why should we let this get us down?" he asked, "Since I found my wallet, why don't we eat out, dear?" he offered, giving his wife a smile. "Thanks for searching with us, Minako-chan. Consider this your allowance." He stuffed a bottle of medicine in her bag with a smile.

Well…it was the thought that counted. "Thank you," Minako said with a smile, "I should get going now. I'll see you two next time." Turning her back to the two, Minako headed out of the store and went on her way home.

EVENING

"…S'up, dude?" Junpei called when Minako walked in the front door. A grin played on his face, "Three-day weekend starting tomorrow!" he announced excitedly. But then his excitement seemed to drift off to the side, "I asked some peeps if they wanted to hang out, but the only ones interested were guys…" he sighed, "Man, I don't want no sausage fest…"

Minako couldn't help but giggle at the way he put it. Immature or not, it was still funny.

Mitsuru seemed to step into the conversation then, "I don't mean to interrupt, but need I remind you that midterms are quickly approaching?" She gave a slight smile to Junpei that said this was something like a lecture that he could take heed to. "You had best use your time wisely."

Yukari sighed from behind her fashion magazine, slouching a bit in her seat, "You _had_ to remind me…" she grumbled.

Remembering a request from before that she'd seen in Theo's booklet, Minako walked over to Yukari. "Hey Yukari, do you know where I can get Pine Resin?" she asked curiously.

The other brunette looked up at her a bit oddly. "Huh? Pine Resin? You need some?" she asked, a bit surprised. "Why would I have pine resin…? Ohhh, okay… you mean the powder we use in Archery Club, right? The yellow stuff? We use it even in practices, so it runs out quickly…But I think I have some left. Hang on."

Leaving her magazine behind on her seat, Yukari trotted off to the stairs and up them, leaving Minako behind. While waiting for the brunette to return, Minako sat on the arm of the chair and picked up the magazine, flipping through it idly as she waited.

Eventually Yukari returned with a small bag of the powder, "Here you go." She handed the bag over to Minako, who thanked her for it as she set Yukari's magazine back down. "…What did you need it for anyways? Got a bow to take care of?"

"Not really, a friend of mine asked for it," she answered. "But thanks again, this really helps me out."

"Well, whatever," she shrugged. Picking up her magazine, she sat back down in the chair and went back to reading.

Minako on the other hand, headed out to go to Paulownia Mall to give the requested item to Theodore. The train wasn't that crowded at that time of night, so it was easy to get there without too many odd looks. She hurried past the center fountain, and in back to the alley, going straight for the door.

Theo looked surprised to see her, "Welcome to the Velvet Room," he greeted, "How may I help you today?

"I've finished a request for you," Minako sang, offering him the bag of pine resin, rather than taking her usual seat.

"So this is pine resin," he mused, taking the bag from her. He carefully smelled it, "It does smell like freshly-cut pine…I never imagined that this is what pine resin would look like…" he paused a moment, as if remembering something. Suddenly he closed the bag back up and returned it to her. "I'm sorry, please put that away. "It's just that… I've been forced to eat several platefuls of soybean powder before." He sighed, looking slightly disturbed at the memory. "Soybean powder is… it's simply dreadful food. It absorbs all the moisture in your mouth and makes every spoonful an exquisite torture."

Minako stared at him with a look akin to horror.

Clearing his throat and shaking his head, he moved along, "Please, take this as your reward." He handed her a bow, "It's called 'Siren's Song'," he informed. "Is there anything else I can assist you with?" he offered.

"Um, not really, I just wanted to bring that to you before I forgot," Minako explained.

"Well then," he said with a smile, "I look forward to your next visit.


	5. The First 'Ordeal'

_Here we go! Chapter 5~ It took me a bit longer to get this one out. All my own fault though. I get easily distracted. I ended up watching Ghost Hound and then drawing for days._

_**Junpei**__: well, you're back now, so I guess that's fine._

___It's not like I took forever and a million years like I did with Avalon Code...;; but yeah. I'm gonna try to put myself on a schedule. _

___**Junpei:** All right, now on to business. Thanks go to Deidara'sgirl19 and Hamujiro for their reviews again._

___And a super awesome special thanks to my super special awesome Imouto-chan, BlueFox of the Moon! Imouto~ Ily! I'm so glad I got you obsessed into this series. This chapter is for you since I dont have many people to dedicate to! xD 3 3 3_

___**Junpei**: And now, friends, comrades, and fans, please enjoy the next chapter. ;D_

* * *

Later, when Minako got back to the dorm, she headed up to her room. Working on homework, Minako ended up staying up to almost Midnight to make sure it was all finished, as well as study a bit on top of it. She didn't want to show up at school when Golden Week ended only to have not done her homework. When she finished she changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed, ready to sleep.

Of course, just then the Dark Hour hit, and that familiar presence was in her room once again. She sat up, turning to look just off to the side of her bed to see the same little boy from before in stripped pajamas. He watched her with a curious but innocent look on his face. "Hi, how've you been?" he asked, "One week from now, there will be a full moon…Be careful," he said with a slight smile, "A new ordeal awaits you…"

Minako tilted her head to the side, "What kind of ordeal?" she asked curiously.

"You will encounter one of _them_," he explained, "You must prepare for the ordeal, but time is of the essence…I'm sure you're aware of that of course. I'll come see you again when it's over. Goodbye for now."

Before Minako could even open her mouth to ask him anything further, he disappeared. She stared at the empty space where he'd been standing for a moment before falling back down, her head hitting the pillow. She was tired, no more thinking about things. She closed her eyes and let dreams take her away.

_(5/3) SUNDAY_

It was Constitution Day, the beginning of Golden Week. Minako kept her face buried in her pillow, trying to hide from the sun as it crept in through her window, trying to call her our too early in the morning. She was almost successful in getting back to sleep despite the chirping birds…when she remembered there was supposedly some interesting home-shopping tv-show that was on during lunch time.

With a groan, she rolled over and sat up. Her hair was a mess, she could feel it sticking up all over the place. Combing her fingers through it, the brunette threw her covers off and climbed out of bed. She turned on her television before looking for some clothes to wear. Just as she was pulling a violet long-sleeve shirt over her head, an irritatingly catchy song began to play from the speakers. "Here comes Tanakaaaaa, over the airwaves to youuuuuu!"

Minako pulled on her skirt and took a seat at the edge of her bed, watching the screen. Apparently this was the 'home shopping' show that the kids from school had been talking about.

Some middle-aged looking man took to the screen with a smug smile to his face, "Hello, everyone! Welcome to the home shopping show, 'Tanatak's Amazing Commodities'!"

"Granter of your desires!" the singers chorused in the background.

"I'm your host, Tanaka, with a live presentation of my Amazing Commodities! We'll show you great items at unbeatable prices! Ooh, you wont be able to touch that dial! Let's bring out our item of the day!" Stepping to the side, two showcase ladies stepped forward, wheeling out two podium-like display stands of the offered items. "It iiiiiis…Yawn-B-Gone!" he announced, "Protects your health! Oh my goodness! I can't believe its wonderfulness! But wait, there's more! We'll throw in two Muscle Drink for only 1,980 yen!"

Though Minako knew in normal time, those items were useless, but in the Dark Hour, they might turn out to be useful. She fished her wallet out of her school bag and took a look at what money she had. Thanks to exploring Tartrus so much she had quite a bit. In fact she had enough to get the items without hurting for money later. Pulling out her phone, she dialed the number on the screen and ordered the product, following the instructions the operator on the other end gave her.

"Well, it seems we're sold out today," the host announced a few minuets after she got off the phone, "Next time, we'll bring you a set of two rare cards that your kids'll be dying to own! See you next Sunday, same time, same channel!"

Turning off the television, Minako sighed, that had been almost a complete waste of five minuets of her life. Taking a moment to pull on some stockings and boots, Minako grabbed her scarf and a coat and draped them over her arm before heading down to the lounge.

Junpei was standing by the window, staring outside by time Minako got to the lounge. "Hey Junpei," she called, leaning over the counter a bit.

"What's up?" Junpei called, looking at her over his shoulder. "You doing anything today?"

"Nope," Minako sighed with a frown. I'm…Just gonna wander around and hope I find something to do, that's all."

"I'm sooo bored, dude," Junpei groaned, "I can't believe that I don't have anything to do during Golden Week."

Heading outside just as she said she was going to do, Minako wandered off into town, looking for something to do. In the end, Minako ended up heading back to the bookstore. Upon entering, she was greeted by Bunkichi, who looked rather happy to see her, "Minako-chan!" he called with a smile, "Too bad you didn't come earlier…My wife just left for Gekkoukan."

"Oh," Minako blinked, "Well, I'll wait here until she gets back so I can say 'hi'," she said with a smile.

"Well, she won't be gone long," Bunkichi informed, "Why don't you keep my company, Minako-chan. Are you thirsty? Here, let's share this." He went to grab a drink, only to look around rather confused, "…Wait, where are the cups? I'm afraid I'm completely useless without my wife."

The door to the store opened then, and in hurried Mitsuko. Bunkichi smiled when he saw her, "…Hello, dear. You came back just in…"

"T…T-T-Tree…" Mitsuko stuttered. She looked pale and frightened.

Minako looked worried then. Stepping forward she put a hand on Mitsuko's shoulder, "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Calm down, dear," Bunkichi said calmly, walking over to her. "See, you have Minako-chan worried too. You oughta know better than to walk that far at your age…" Though he was seeming to joke, he looked rather worried himself. "Here, drink this," he prompted handing her a drink, "And here's one for you, Minako-chan." He handed each of them a Cylon Tea to drink.

Mitsuko seemed to calm down then, opening the tea and slowly drinking some.

Bunkichi sighed, "Judging by her reaction, it seems the rumor was true. The persimmon tree by the walkway at your school…" he looked down sadly, "My wife heard a rumor that it was going to be cut down, and she almost fainted. Do you know anything about it, Minako-chan?"

"That makes me worry…" Minako answered. The tree meant a lot to the old couple, she didn't want to see them sad because it had to be cut down.

"You're so kind, Minako-chan…" Bunkichi said, patting her on the head fondly. "I'm worried too. I tried to look into the rumor, but…I think I was 'barking up the wrong tree'…" he chucked a bit, waiting for Minako's reaction.

Minako did laugh a bit, it was like he had been waiting to use that pun for some time.

"Minako-chan," Mitsuko began, looking at the girl, "If it's not too much trouble, can you tell us if you hear anything about the persimmon tree?"

It seemed she was counting on Minako's help to learn the true fate of the tree they both held dear. Minako smiled and nodded her head, "Don't worry, I'll look into it. I'll ask the Student Council President too." A glance over her shoulder at the window showed the sky was beginning to get dark, meaning she had to leave soon to head back to the dorm.

"I hate to trouble you, but…" Mitsuko seemed to fidget a bit, "Please let us know if you hear anything about the persimmon tree."

"Of course, I'll come let you know as soon as I hear something, Mitsuko-san." She waved farewell to the old couple, leaving the store with a promise to return as soon as possible.

EVENING

Rather than heading back to the dorm right away, Minako decided to head to make a detour to the Paulownia Mall. She stopped by the police station, checking to see if Officer Kurosawa was in. When she found him, she explained how in their investigations they found weapons, and were wondering if he could use them. Kurosawa agreed with a nod, and they agreed on a price for what she had. Agreeing that he could pay when he came to get them some time later, she turned to leave the station, saying she'd alert Mitsuru of it since she preferred to stay home.

After that she decided to spent the evening in Changall Café with a cup of Pheromone coffee. It was the same as last time. She had been about halfway through her cup when she felt like people were staring at her. She slouched in her seat a bit, as if trying to hide. Either this coffee worked wonders, or she was really paranoid.

When she returned to the dorm, she spent some time in her room studying, and then turned in for the day.

_(5/4) MONDAY_

It was Greenery Day, the second day of Golden Week. Again, that day there seemed to be nothing to do. Minako slept in late, enjoying her dreams that –most of the time- made no sense at all. By the time she woke up, it was around lunch, so she headed tot he Iwatodai Strip Mall and got some food at Wild-duck Burger. After her fill of food, she wandered back to the dorm and decided to study for the rest of the day.

_(5/5) TUESDAY_

Children's Day came then, the last day of Golden Week. Sitting up in her bed, Minako ran a hand through her hair, only to find a box sitting on the floor just inside her room. "What the…?" Hopping up, she walked over to it and crouched down. She poked at it a moment before opening it. It turned out to be her order from that TV show that had been on Sunday. There were three Yawn-B-Gone, and two Muscle Drinks. She put them in her bag for Tartrus to use later if needed.

Two seconds later her phone was ringing. "Aw, damnit! Where is it?" She jumped at her bag, rummaging through it, only to find it in the pocket of her uniform skirt next to it on the floor. Pulling it out and flipping it open, she pulled it up to her ear, "Hello?"

"Yo, Junpei here!" Junpei's cheerful voice called, "You got some time?"

Minako grinned, it looked like she'd have something to do after all, "Yeah, I got time, what's up?" She stood then as he spoke, picking out clothes to quickly change into.

"Hey, wanna do something today? I'm bored outta my mind," Junpei asked.

"You bet, let me get changed and I'll be right down," she answered. Tossing a burgundy top on the bed with her brown skirt and black stocking.

"All right!" Junpei cheered, excited, "I'll be waitin' downstairs then."

Hanging up the phone, which she then tossed on the bed, Minako peeled off her pajamas and tossed them to the corner of her messy bed. She wouldn't bother making it today, she decided as she dressed. She pulled her hair up, washed her face, brushed her teeth. Making sure she didn't look like she'd just woken up, Minako headed out the door, dragging along her red scarf she seemed to favor so much.

Once downstairs, the two headed out, grins on their faces. It was straight to the Iwatodai Strip Mall then. They climbed the stairs to the third floor, Minako following Junpei. She was surprised when they headed to the Sweet Shop aiming for a snack full of sugary goodness.

"I usually don't eat sweet stuff," Junpei explained as they stopped outside the store. He laughed when he saw her confused expression, "but I get a craving for it from time to time. The café the other day was the same too, but it's too embarrassing to some here with other guys…" Grinning he pulled open the door for her, "Anyways, let's hurry up and go in!"

Inside Junpei happily looked over the store's menu. It was then that he suddenly seemed to recall something. He turned that grinning face to Minako, "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Today's my treat! Junpei Iori's in a giving mood! You lucked out!" He looked rather triumphant, grinning and laughing like that in such an energetic carefree manner. "Oh, there's no need to be modest either," he pointed out, knowing how much she could really eat, "I had… a little windfall, you might say, so I'm actually rich for once!"

"Did you win the lottery?" Minako asked, half joking with her words.

"Ooh, bingo!" Junpei agreed, surprising her. "I bought a scratch lotto card, purely on a whim, and I won! Well, I won 3,000 yen, anyway. Still, isn't that awesome?"

Minako smiled and nodded, "That is awesome!" she agreed, "You've got some great luck there Junpei."

Junpei laughed, "I'm sharing my good luck with ya. See? Wasn't it a good thing that you came along today?" He was glowing, he was so happy. He paid, as promised, for their treats, and they spent the day sitting at one of the tables, chatting and eating their slices of cake and what other treats they'd gotten, washing it down with some milk tea.

When the sky grew dark, Minako and Junpei decided to leave, and headed out, returning to the dorm. On the way back, Minako paused, spotting a dog. Junpei laughed, going on ahead as Minako pet the pup a bit before leaving. When she reached the dorm, Junpei had already settled on the couch, playing one of his hand-held games.

"No one else home?" Minako asked.

Junpei paused his game, looking up at her, "Senpai isnt back yet, so we cant go to Tartrus today…Yuka-tan said she's gonna study, but not me, man, I'm gonna find something fun to do. What about you?" He asked.

Minako thought a moment, "I guess I'll go read in my room for a bit before going to bed." Junpei had chucked at that, saying he hoped the book was a good one as she headed for the stairs. "Thanks again for today, Junpei, I had fun."

"Same here," he called back before she was out of ear shot.

Upstairs, Minako did just as she said she was going to do. She dressed in her pajamas and sat on her bed, pulling out the book she'd bought at Bookworms. She read for a good three hours, getting deep into the story, before she decided it was about time to go to sleep for School tomorrow.

_(5/6) WEDNESDAY_

Minako almost missed hearing the two gossips those three days off. She grinned when she saw them talking just by the gate, and paused to listen in. The guy was sighing, looking pretty bummed, "…Golden Week is over. I'm pretty sad…You know, rabbits can die from sadness."

The girl laughed, "Okay… First, you're not a rabbit. And second, that's just a rumor."

The boy looked rather surprised, "What? No way! I thought it was a scientific fact…But speaking of being sad… I saw an elementary school kid at Naganaki Shrine last time I visited. She looked so sad, playing all by herself. I felt sorry for her…"

Minako headed inside as the first bell rang. Maybe she'd check it out tomorrow… actually, on Friday when she didn't have anything to do.

The morning classes brought Ms. Ounishi's class. She didn't look too enthusiastic when it came to teaching that morning. She sighed, "I don't feel like teaching today…I was watching TV last night, and there was a special on weight loss. "The more you drink, the thinner you get!" Yeah, right! What about the osmotic pressure, huh? It's misinformation, but people believe what they see on TV…" she shook her head, "A lot of companies say stuff like, "Our product contains minerals!" But that's a load of hooey. There's hardly more than trace elements of whatever they're talking about. It's meaningless. Did you know that there are different names for water depending on its calcium or magnesium content?" Suddenly her eyes were on Minako, and she seemed to smile, "You look like you know the answer, Minako… Surprise me."

"H-huh?" A bit startled, Minako stood up, apparently ready to give the correct answer thanks to the teacher assuming she knew.

"What do you cal water without much calcium and magnesium?" She asked.

Oh, so apparently Minako _did_ know this one. "It's soft water," she answered simply.

"That's right," She replied with a smile and a nod, "You're better informed than I thought! Most of the water in Japan is soft water. That's why many Japanese find it strange to drink hard water, because they're used to the other kind. Remember, cooking rice with hard water ruins the flavor. Now, let's look at the various ions in water…"

So…then she _didn't_ expect Minako to get it right.

Huffing, Minako looked back at her notes, slowly scribbling things in the lecture down. After that, class seemed to pass rather quickly, and soon enough it was over. When the final bell ran, she packed up her things. That morning she had decided to go to Student Council, so she did just that. Leaving the classroom, she crossed the hall and headed inside, already hearing voices within.

Inside the Student Council Room, things looked the same as they had last time, only minus a few faces, like Mitsuru. Working with the students in there, like Hidetoshi and Chihiro, the hours seemed to fly by. As things began to die down in the room, Hidetoshi turned to her and began talking.

"I'd like to hear your opinion on something," he began, "It's nothing serious, but…Some students feel the school uniform should be abolished, and they're recruiting supporters…"

Minako was one of the few students who liked the uniforms. They were better than most other uniforms out there, and it made things easy. If it werent for the uniforms, there would be students pestering other students, making harsh comments on what they were wearing, which could then lead to bullying. "How pointless, the uniforms don't need to be abolished, they're fine," Minako commented with a frown.

"You're right about that," Hidetoshi said with a grin to his lips. He seemed satisfied with the answer. "They think life without rules is freedom. It's ridiculous, plain and simple. Without rules, the whole system will collapse. They're mistaking selfishness for freedom." He paused a moment, realizing the rant he had started going off on, "…Sorry, I must have overreacted. I hate people with no common sense. Sometimes I cant believe the things that come out of their mouths. I don't mean you, of course. I just want you to understand where I'm coming from."

Minako smiled, nodding her head. "No worries, I see where you're coming from. People just don't understand that sometimes rules are there for a reason." _Like to protect the minority from the majority._

Hidetoshi nodded. It was only then the two of them noticed how late it was getting. "Why don't you go home, Minako-kun? I'll finish up here…Take care."

With a nod and a wave, Minako bid farewell to Hidetoshi and left. She headed down to the shoe lockers and traded her shoes out, then hurried off to the station so as not to get caught by some creeps because it was getting too late.

Back at the dorm Yukari approached Minako when she returned, "Hey, let's go to Tartrus tonight," she suggested, "I'm getting worried since nothing's happened since that one day…Is it just me, or are more people getting Apathy Syndrome lately?" She shivered, shaking her head, "I have a feeling something bad is going to happen…Or am I just being paranoid?"

"Don't worry, I don't think you're being paranoid," Minako answered, patting Yukari on the shoulder. "We'll go to Tartrus and train tonight, so don't worry." Of course, there was still the hours of working on homework and reading that Minako put in between before they headed out to train.

Things were pretty much the same as always that night. They spent most their time just running around and chasing down every shadow on every floor rather than having to be more careful. They gathered more of those items that were just sitting there on the floors they passed through. The three also managed to collect a few more weapons that they could sell back to Officer Kurosawa, who was still supposed to come by and pick up the weapons he agreed to pay for. But none the less, training went on until one of the other two complained about being tired, and then they returned before things could get worse and headed back to the dorm.

_(5/7) __THURSDAY_

The morning had seemed to drag on for forever and ever. Minako had been tired because of the previous night's running around, so she hadn't focused all that much on the lesson. When lunch had rolled around, she headed down to the student store and bought Yakisoba Bread and some bottled tea. She leaned against the wall outside her classroom once again as she ate her food. As she ate, Junpei approached her with a grin.

"I don't know, it's still kinda weird running into you in the hallway like this," he laughed, "But anyway, you free today? Wanna go somewhere?"

"If I'm not busy. I might go to Tennis today if there's practice today," Minako answered after swallowing a mouthful of bread.

Junpei looked a little surprised, "Seriously? Well, all right, just let me know."

"Sure thing," Minako answered before eating the last bite of her bread.

Well, as things turned out, after school that day she didn't have any Tennis practice. Whoops, she must have gotten the days mixed up then. Not that she was disappointed or anything, she'd just have to make sure to attend the next day when she saw Rio standing outside the classroom.

So instead she entered the classroom once again and approached Junpei. "Hey, are you on your way home?" he asked.

"Yup, there's no practice today, so I'm free if you wanna go do something," she said with a smile.

"Whoa! Thanks a million!" he said, looking rather relieved that she'd agreed to go hang out with him.

With a laugh, she followed Junpei out of the classroom and to the shoe lockers. She waited for him to change his shoes, since she seemed to be faster at it, and they headed off campus. Letting him decide where they should go, the two ended up at the Iwatodai Strip Mall. It seemed that there was no real reason to it, they were just wandering around, looking for something to do.

"Hey, let's get something to eat," Junpei suggested.

"Sure, where should we go?" Minako asked, taking a look at the different places they could eat at the Strip Mall.

Junpei seemed to think hard on this, "Ramen or a meal… Maybe a beef bowl… Oh, wait, what about takoyaki…?" He frowned, unable to make up his mind, "…Uh, what do you want to eat?" he asked, hoping that letting her decide would be easier.

"Ramen!" Minako cheered with a smile. She'd had Wild-duck Burger the last time she came, and she didn't feel like a full meal at the other places. Besides, a Hagakure bowl was sounding really good just then.

A grin played on Junpei's face, "Ooh, you're up for it, too?" He seemed to be relieve that she chose something so simple that they both enjoyed, "Okay, let's go…Whoa, what the hell?"

Minako turned to see what Junpei was looking at. There was a middle-aged man standing off to the side, swaying a bit on his feet. Actually, 'staggering' would be a better description. He also seemed to be yelling something at the bench outside the takoyaki place.

Junpei looked rather annoyed, sending a glare in the man's direction, "That dude's completely wasted…It's broad daylight, dammit…" he growled.

It was pretty obvious to Minako that Junpei didn't want to get involved. He seemed rather loathsome to the drunkard. "Let's avoid him," she suggested, not that she wanted to deal with the drunk in the first place.

"Yeah, I don't wanna have to deal with somebody like that, either," he answered with a frustrated sigh. "I mean, if he gets hit by a car or something, it's his own damn fault." Junpei grimaced, as if recalling a bad memory.

Unfortunately the drunk seemed to notice the two had been staring at him. In his drunken rage – if you could call it that – he staggered over, approaching the two, Minako being the closer one. "Haaaaaah…? Wha' chu lookin' at…?" He demanded.

Really, couldn't drunks pick a better line to try and intimidate children?

The glare was back on Junpei's face, directed at the drunk. "Whaddya want…? Get outta here," he shot at the man, looking rather disgusted.

Not wanting to have a fight break out or something along those lines, Minako grabbed Junpei's arm, tugging him towards the stairs, "Junpei, let's just go," she suggested.

The glare stayed focused on the drunk for a moment, Junpei's face set in a scowl. Slowly, he turned away, letting Minako drag him to the stairs, "…Yeah, you're right."

They walked up the stairs to the floor with Hagakure Ramen and entered. It wasn't too crowded, so they took a seat at the bar on the corner end. Though the food smelled great, it didn't seem to do anything to lift Junpei's bad mood. They placed their orders and settled in their seats, Minako's eyes on Junpei the whole while.

He sighed, slouching on his stool a bit, looking rather irritated. "Uh… Sorry," he apologized, looking to Minako, "I…don't like seeing drunks like that. Well, I doubt that anyone actually likes seeing people like that." He laughed dejectedly, looking down at his hands on the counter, "You…You don't have any parents…right?" He looked to the side, unable to look at Minako when he spoke again, "I know that this'll make me sound like an ass…But I kinda envy you…There have to be some parents that their kids would be better off without…"

Minako was quiet a moment. Sure, she hadn't asked for her parents to die in that accident, but she was also good as seeing where people were coming from when they made such comments. From Junpei's reactions earlier, it seemed like some of this all came from experience. "…Like your parents?" she asked.

It was Junpei who was quiet a moment then. Then, in response, he just shrugged his shoulders.

Seconds later, the ramen they had ordered was placed before them, but the heavy atmosphere from what all had just happened made it taste oilier than usual. They ate for a moment in silence, and then Junpei stopped eating for a moment, just staring at the noodles in the broth.

"My… dad was always drinking," he admitted finally, "He's just sit there and drink, all by himself." He stirred the noodles around a bit absentmindedly, "And every time he did, he'd get violent over the stupidest stuff…" He sighed a bit, slumping his shoulders, "But… It doesn't hurt at all anymore. When I was a kid and I acted up, I'd get spanked and it would really hurt. But now… He's lost what strength he had, and I didn't even notice."

Suddenly it was like he'd just realized he was talking out loud, even Minako had stopped eating to listen when he'd started talking. "Whoa…Sorry for bringing that up. I must really be boring you." Suddenly that carefree grin of his was back on his face, "C'mon, let's talk about something fun!"

Minako smiled. She was happy that he'd felt comfortable enough around her to open up about his past like that to her – even if he didn't realize what he was doing at first. But she wasn't going to reject that carefree smile of his by trying to continue talking about a topic he was done with.

"Crap! Gotta finish these noodles before they get soggy!" Junpei reminded, pointing his chopsticks at her bowl as he spoke, "Let's shut up and eat!"

Joining in when she realized the same thing, Minako and Junpei hurried up and ate their ramen before the noodles expanded. They ended up eating a bit faster than expected, so after finishing, they sat back a moment to let it settle in their stomachs. "If I get a stomach ache," Minako began with a sigh, "I'm blaming you."

"Yeah, I'll blame me too if I get one," Junpei groaned. It was almost as if he could feel one coming on. The two laughed, and thankfully it didn't knot their stomachs.

Afterwards they paid for their food separately and left. Thankfully the drunk was gone by the time they came back out, so there was nothing to dampen Junpei's mood again. Together, chatting about aimless things like television and video games, the two headed back to the dorm.

As soon as they were in the door, Junpei looked back as it closed, one of the Lost standing out on the sidewalk on the other side of the street. "Man, have you seen more of those freaks around lately? It's kinda creepy," he said, looking at Minako, "Maybe we should go to Tartrus tonight."

Akihiko looked up from his cup ramen at the mention of Tartrus, "Maybe I should come along… I'm dying of boredom, too."

Mitsuru threw Akihiko a look daring him to try, "…Akihiko, are you trying to make me angry?"

"What?" Akihiko looked a bit surprised, "No, it's just - -" He sighed, defeated, "Never mind, then."

"How about we all skip Tartrus tonight then," Minako suggested, "We'll keep things fair for tonight."

"Really?" Junpei groaned.

"Yes, really," Minako answered, yawning, "Besides I'm tired from running around yesterday." As if to show it, the brunette yawned, covering her mouth. "We can go tomorrow if I don't have tennis practice, okay?"

Junpei looked a little disappointed, but agreed none the less, "All right, tomorrow it is then."

With a smile, Minako headed up to her room, did a bit of her homework, and then went to bed.

_(5/8) __FRIDAY_

During lunchtime that day, Minako was approached by Ms. Toriumi. "Ah, there you are, Arisato-san," she said, calling the girl's attention as she stopped by her desk. "I'd like a word with you. You haven't joined any committees yet, have you?" she asked. "I know this is sudden, but there's some positions that jus became vacant that I'd like you to take on. I mean, students are obligated to join a school committee." She gave Minako, who looked confused, a kind smile, "I'll let you choose with one you'd like to join. Which one of these would you rather join? The School Health Committee, or the Library Committee?"

Minako thought a moment about it. The library was a much nicer place to spend one's time. It was quiet, and most ignorant annoying people tended to avoid the library. It seemed like a nice place to try out. "I'll pick the Library Committee," She answered.

"All right, thank you," Ms. Toriumi answered, glad Minako hadnt made things difficult. "We'll go on over to the library after school today."

"All right," Minako answered.

The rest of the school day was spent by Minako wondering what the Committee was going to be like. She really did hope that she'd made the best choice. After all, she did love books, and it was a nice quiet environment in there. When the final bell rang, Minako packed her things and left the classroom.

Rio spotted her and caught her in the hallway. "Hey, Minako-san," she called, jogging up to her. "You coming to tennis practice today?"

"I'm sorry!" Minako apologized with a bow, her hand held up vertically to her face. (idk, a sign of respect? You guys know the bow, right?) "I was planning to, but today at lunch Ms. Toriumi said I had to join a committee today, so I have to go to the library."

"Oh," Rio sighed, "Well, that's all right, I suppose," she answered, "Just make sure you come next time." She gave a playful bonk to the top of Minako's head, and the two girls laughed. "Have fun in the library."

"Hah, I will," Minako replied, "See you." Trotting off down the hall, Minako went down the stairs. She passed the student store at the bottom and to the Faculty Office Hallway. Walking down to the end, she turned to the left, and there was the door to the library. Taking a deep breath, Minako opened the door and stepped inside.

It was nice and cool in the library, as well a pretty vacant. There weren't many students in there studying, but it wasn't like it was deserted or anything. She was just wondering where she was supposed to go when Ms. Ounishi arrived. "Is everyone here?" she asked, walking Minako towards a small group of students gathered off to the side. "Allow me to introduce Minako Arisato from class 2-F to you," she announced, "She'll be joining the library committee." Turning to Minako she offered a kind smile, "If there's anything you don't understand… oh, let's see…" she mused, looking around at the students gathered, "Hasegawa!"

A very beautiful, mature looking student stepped forward, "Yes, Ma'am?" she asked.

Minako could feel a very light blush on her cheeks. It wasn't like she was attracted to the girl, she was just amazed at how beautiful she was.

"You're on duty today, right?" Ms. Ounishi asked, "Teach her how to get around here." The two exchanged nods, "Well then, I'll leave the rest to you."

"Understood," the mature looking girl answered. She turned to face Minako with a slight smile to her lips, "Well then…could you come over here so I can explain?" she asked.

Some of the other members of the library committee exchanged looks as Minako walked over to the mature girl. One of the seniors stepped forward then, "U-Um, Saori-san? Excuse me, but we, um…" Even the senior was hesitated when speaking to her. The girl addressed 'Saori' very formally, which was very odd for a school such as theirs.

The mature girl looked over, brushing a bit of her dark gray hair from her face, "Oh… I'm sorry, I didn't notice." A soft but beautiful smile broke out across her face, "Please feel free to go home. I'll take care of the rest for today."

The senior girls bowed, "We're really sorry. See you later…" turning, the rest of the members left the library, headed home or to whatever they had planned for that afternoon.

"Oh," the girl turned to look at Minako, still with a kind look on her face, "Please don't think that the others aren't welcoming you to the club. They're all just very busy." She then put a hand to her chin in thought, musing more to herself then, "Um… Let's see, where should I start explaining things to you…?" A light bulb seemed to flicker on and she made eye contact again with Minako, "…Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't even introduced myself yet. I'm Saori Hasegawa."

Minako smiled, bowing a bit, "I'm very pleased to meet you," she answered, "I'm Minako Arisato."

Saori laughed a bit, "Heh… There's no need to be so formal, I'm a junior, just like you. You don't have to be so polite to me."

The brunette looked at her a little confused for a moment. She was sure that the seniors earlier were talking to her very formally. Saori didn't _look_ like a junior, she seemed to fit more with the senior girls with her air of maturity. But if she was insisting that there was no need to be formal, Minako wasn't going to go against her wishes, "All right."

"…Thank you," Saori replied, that beautiful smile to her face once again, "I'm glad to hear that. I'm actually two years older than you. I studied abroad, and took some time off from school," she then explained. "I'm the oldest student in the school right now…That's why the upperclassmen all speak politely to me." She sighed, glancing off towards the door, "I really wish they'd stop…but I've pretty much given up about it…Still, considering that we've just met, it'll be nice if you didn't feel you have to be like that around me." She turned back to look at Minako once again, "…Could you just try?"

Minako smiled again, nodding her head, "Of course I can!" she answered.

"Heh… I'm glad to hear that," she said. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm supposed to explain our duties here." She laughed a bit, covering her mouth, "We meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but we do get a couple of days off before exams." Walking Minako towards the front counter, she continued to explain things, "First, let's go over how to check books out. Each book has a barcode on the back cover, so…"

Saori explained and taught Minako the skill she'd need in order to perform her duties on the committee. Her new friend was good at saying things in a manner that was easy for her to under stand, so she was able to pick up on it quickly. After Minako was told everything that her duties would entail, the two of them chatted to the side while helping any student who approached the front desk.

Once the final bell rang, signaling all after school activities were to come to an end, Minako bid farewell to Saori and headed back to the dorm. Mitsuru and Akihiko were sitting on the couches in the lounge. Akihiko was cleaning his gloves again, for lack of anything better to do, while Mitsuru was engrossed in her reading material. However, when Minako shut the front door behind her, Mitsuru looked up from her book.

"Ah, Welcome back," she greeted.

"I'm home," Minako replied a bit embarrassed. It was still odd to be greeted home after living so long without it after her parents had died.

Mitsuru looked like something was bothering her, so Minako asked about it. "…It's odd, really," she began in reply, "how quiet it's been…"

"You're referring to the Shadows, I take it?" Akihiko asked, looking up from his boxing gloves.

Mitsuru sighed, closing her book on one of her fingers so as to not lose her page. "It's been a month since the attack, yet I'm certain that wont be the last time they appear outside of Tartrus."

Akihiko seemed to think about what Mitsuru was saying for a moment, his eyes focused on the redhead, "True… Lately, it seems like The Lost are everywhere. So something must be going on…"

"You best be careful, Arisato," Mitsuru advised, nodding at the brunette.

"Right, we will be," she answered for the sake of the team. "I'm going to see if they're up for Tartrus tonight, so I'll be right back." Chatting with the other two a moment it was decided that they weren't going to go. Yukari was complaining about being tired from Archery Practice as well as the mountain of homework the teacher had assigned to them that night. She reported back to Mitsuru on it before heading up to her room to deal with said mountain, and then go straight to sleep.

_(5/9) __SATURDAY_

That morning on the way to school, Minako felt the sting of a thousand glares at her back. Determined to catch who all it was sending her such malice stares, Minako spun around to catch them. "Would you-!" Minako paused her attempt at a threat to those glaring at her when she saw Akihiko looking rather surprised. He hand a hand stretched out as if he were about to pat her on the shoulder as he approached so they could talk. "O-Oh! Senpai, it's just you, sorry…" Minako laughed a bit.

Akihiko gave her a look with a slight smile and a laugh, "Hey, Minako," he greeted.

Now it made sence why she felt all those malice looks at her back.

"How's it going?" Akihiko asked, catching her attention again, "Have you been training in Tartrus?"

"Of course," Minako replied, "We just took last night off because there was too much homework to do, and Yukari-chan wasn't feeling all that well."

The boxer nodded, "Great, keep it up. It never hurts to train when you get the chance, but looking out for your teammates is important too. My wounds will heal in no time, and then I'll be able to join you on the front line." He paused a moment before giving her another look as they stopped at the front steps of the school, "But, don't just rely on me."

"All right, I'll keep that in mind," Minako answered, nodding.

After their conversation, Minako headed into the school. Aside from the few glares she received from the Akihiko fans in her class, the day sailed by smoothly. It was as she was packing up her things for the day that she remembered the little boy who had visited her. It was a full moon that night; the night that he had warned her about. She didn't know if anything was really going to happen, but it was better to be safe than sorry. So to make sure that she was ready for anything to come, Minako decided that heading straight back to the dorm would be the best idea.

The rest of the day seemed to pass rather slowly, and eventually night fell, and it was nearing time for Minako to go to sleep. The Dark hour was just approaching when Minako finally finished her homework. She had planned to go to sleep, and was just getting up to do so when the hidden hour hit. She paused a moment, looking around her room. "I wonder if something really is going to happen…" she mused to herself. Figuring it would be the wisest idea, Minako decided to stay up through the Dark Hour. Once it was over she'd go to bed, assured that nothing was going to happen.

She had decided on reading a book at her desk, her window open to let in the moonlight so that she could see the pages. It was really inconvenient for nothing to be working during this hour. Maybe she'd pick up some candles on the way home from school sometime – those would be sure to work at this hour, right?

Not even five minuets into the tenth chapter of her book, the alarm in the dorm sounded. Minako wondered for a second how the alarm actually worked during the Dark Hour, but that wasn't what was important. The brunette jumped to her feet and stuck on her shoes. Leaving her room, she met up with Yukari outside her door, and then Junpei at the stairs. The three of them headed up together to the control room, walking in without so much as a knock.

"We're here!" Yukari called as they entered.

"Where is it!" Junpei asked, looking about ready to jump into any kind of battle, "I'll rip it a new one!"

Mitsuru stood from her seat before her radio, her arms crossing over her chest, "We've detected a Shadow outside of Tartrus. We don't know for sure, but we think it's another big one. We have to defeat any of them we find, as quickly as possible." She stepped around the radio, passing the table to stand closer to the second-years as she briefed them. "Most people don't know the Dark Hour exists. But, if half the city is destroyed, there will be panic. That must be avoided at all Costs."

Junpei grinned, "In other words, we need to kick some ass, right? Well, count me in!" He seemed more than ready to play the role of the Hero. He wanted to save the day – or night? – and be the one showered with praise for his hard work by the rest of the team.

Yukari sighed, looking rather disapproving of his enthusiasm. "Junpei…"

"Akihiko, you stay here and wait for the Chairman," Mitsuru ordered..

Akihiko looked shocked and angry at the same time. "Wha-! Are you kidding! I'm going!"

Mitsuru threw him a look, "You still need to recover. You'll just be a hindrance."

"What!" Akihiko's brows furrowed, his eyes narrowing into something of a glare at the redhead.

"They'll fare better than you, in your current state," Mitsuru informed, trying to convince Akihiko that she wasn't crazy for telling him to stay behind where it was safe so he could recover. "Have faith in them, Akihiko… They're ready."

Akihiko opened his mouth, ready to protest further, but not a sound came out. Eventually, he groaned, looking away from the redhead with a rather frustrated expression setting in on his visage. "Dammit…" he muttered, that frustration changing to something of disappointment and loss.

"Relax!" Junpei said, as if trying to comfort Akihiko with the reassurance that it would be fine, "I've got it covered!"

"I guess I've got no choice…" the boxer grumbled. Turning to look at the three, Akihiko's brown eyes landed on Minako, "Minako, you're in charge."

Junpei, yet again, looked rather upset and frustrated that he wasn't chosen to be the leader, "Her again…?" he asked.

"We're counting on you…" Mitsuru said, eyes focused on the brunette as well.

It wasn't something small like exploring Tartrus that they were entrusting her with. This time it was a serious battle they were heading into, and Minako would have to be extra focused to make sure that she would bring home her comrades safe and sound. Her expression kept serious, the brunette nodded her head, "Leave it to me!"

"I know you can do this," Akihiko assured, showing his utmost confidence in her.

"Guess it's pretty much decided that you're our leader, huh…?" Junpei asked, a bite to his words. Minako looked at her ball-capped friend in surprise at the tone to his voice. "Even when I'm the only guy in the group…" He wouldn't even look at her, he seemed to be glaring off to the side. He wasn't hiding his distaste for their senpais' choice in a leader.

Mitsuru stepped up then, looking rather insulted at what Junpei had just said, "Whether one is a man or a woman doesn't factor into it," she scolded, "The responsibility falls to those who have the gift." Her eyes narrowed then, gleaming dangerously with a death threat. "And let me add," she began in a low, threatening tone of voice, "If you ever say or so anything to condescend to her because she's a woman…"

Junpei jumped then, waving his hands frantically as if to ward off the Senpai's threat. "Oh, no, no, no, no! It's not like I look _down_ on her or anything…"

"You three should hurry and go on head," Akihiko interrupted, knowing an argument like that would end up taking up too much of their precious time. "Mitsuru, you need to get ready, right?"

Mitsuru seemed to grab a hold of their objective once again, the glare vanishing from her face. "Indeed," she answered, nodding towards Akihiko. She then looked at the second-years again, "Let's rendezvous in front of the station."

"Got it," Yukari answered. She turned to look at the other two, tugging on Minako's arm to get her attention, "All right, let's go!"

"Right," Minako nodded, "C'mon, Junpei. Let's hurry."

The three of them headed out, pretty much walking rather than running, to the station for the New City passenger train "Anehazuru" at Iwatodai Station. It looked much creepier during the Dark Hour than it should have, with blood running down the two sets of stairs. It stained the walls and pillars too. Finding a few unstained steps to sit on, Junpei and Minako took a seat, drinking some bottled tea Minako had brought along in her bag. Yukari had refused any drink, and instead stood at the bottom of the steps, waiting for Mitsuru to show up.

They'd been sitting there for a good ten minuets. Minako was getting worried that they were going to run out of time before they could deal with the shadow.

Yukari seemed to be thinking the same thing as she took a look around, "Where is she?"

"She'll be here soon," Junpei reassured her, taking a sip of his drink.

The standing brunette sighed, looking up at the green-tinted sky and the eerily large moon above. "There's a full moon tonight…" she mused uneasily as she stared up at it. "But, it looks even creepier during the Dark Hour…"

Minako had opened her mouth to say something in return when the three of them heard a strange noise. The three of them looked over curiously in the direction of the sound, "…Huh? What the!" Junpei exclaimed as a large motorcycle approached, a certain female Senpai riding on it.

The bike came to a stop before the three, and Mitsuru pulled of her helmet, shaking out her hair before looking at the second-years. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she apologized.

"A motorcycle…?" Yukari asked disbelieving.

"Listen carefully," Mitsuru began. "Tonight, I'll be providing support form here. Everything else is the same. The Shadow is currently located inside a monorail, not far from the station. To get there, you'll have to walk on the tracks."

Junpei looked rather surprised Mitsuru would suggest such a thing, "Are you serious! Isnt that dangerous…?"

"Don't worry," Mitsuru assured, "No electronic equipment is operable during the Dark Hour, including the monorails."

"But, your bike…" he began, staring at the white motorcycle.

"It's special," Mitsuru boasted with a smile. "Now, if circumstances change, I'll notify you immediately. Let's get started."

Minako nodded when Mitsuru's eye met hers. "Everyone, let's roll out!"

"Huh!" Apparently Yukari hadnt been paying much attention – or she hadnt been expecting Minako to pull a Junpei line. "O-Okay!"

"Is this how we're gonna do this?" Junpei asked, surprised.

Minako rolled her eyes, "Oh, just c'mon," she retorted. So apparently she wasn't allowed to say something cool like that when she was elected leader. Whatever, she was still awesome for saying it like that. At least Mitsuru didn't say anything.

The three headed up to the station platform and hopped down onto the tracks. Looking around, Minako lead the way towards the train. It didn't take them that long to catch up to the frozen train. "This is it…right?" Yukari asked.

Mitsuru came over the communicators after a series of beeps, as if hearing Yukari's question and came to clarify that. "Can you all hear me?" she asked.

"Yes, I can hear you clearly," Yukari answered in all serious business. "We just got here, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary…"

Wait, shouldn't Minako be the one doing the reporting since she was the leader? Ugh, whatever, maybe this was punishment for having said 'roll out' rather than 'let's go'.

"The readings are definitely coming from that monorail," Mitsuru answered. "Proceed with caution, and stay together."

"Got it," Yukari answered with a nod.

Junpei looked antsy, ready to jump in and kick some butt. He laughed, that fighter's grin to his own face, but looking much more mischievous than it did when on Akihiko's visage. "My persona's just _beggin'_ to be used!"

"Well then," Yukari looked at Minako, as if to confirm what she was going to say, "Let's head on in!"

Minako nodded, "Right, let's go."

Yukari jumped on the foothold leading to the train door and began climbing. She'd taken two steps when she'd realized something. Using one hand to push her skirt down against her butt, she turned back a bit, glaring at Junpei, "Don't look up," she treatened.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Junpei sighed. However, after a second of silence a grin spread on his face, "…But don't blame me if I happen to catch a glimpse…"

Unfortunately, Yukari didn't look all that happy at Junpei's added comment. "Say, Minako-chan…" she began, glare still focused on Junpei, "What do you say we bury Junpei here and leave him behind?"

Minako laughed a bit, "Just hurry on up, Yukari, I'll send Junpei up next once you're inside."

It took her a moment, but Yukari turned back and headed up the rest of the steps, heading inside the monorail. Minako urged Junpei in next, and then followed after him up. Inside the monorail, coffin-like objects are sitting in the last car of the monorail. Junpei walked up to one, poking it with a finger. "This poor stiff must be a passenger…" he mused.

A sudden noise sounded, and the doors to the monorail closed, making the three jump. Mitsuru immediately came over the communicator, "What's wrong? What happened?" she asked.

"It looks like we're trapped inside," Yukari explained as she watched Junpei try to pry the doors open. With a groan and a huff, the male gave up, giving the door a slight kick.

"It must be the Shadow…" Mitsuru mused, "It knows you're there. Be ready for anything! Proceed with extreme caution!"

"R-Roger!" Yukari answered.

"Got it!" Minako agreed at the same time. "Let's move." Leading the way yet again, Minako lead the way across the car. For some reason, the doors between cars themselves seemed to work just fine. After opening the door, Minako took a peek into the next car, leading the way cautiously through the next one, checking seats for anything threatening.

"What the heck?" Junpei asked as they entered the second car from where they'd entered, "I don't see any shadows…"

"It's so quite it's creepy…" Yukari mused as they approached the door to the third car.

"I know what you mean…" Minako sighed.

Of course it seemed that they spoke too soon. Suddenly a Shadow dropped down from above, landing before them. The three jumped, stepping back from the surprise. It looked like an octopus almost with the tentacle like vectors it had. The top of it's head, above it's mask, looked like a basket with a floating book inside it that spun and twirled.

"There it is!" Junpei exclaimed. However, rather than attack them, the shadow turned and fled into the next car. That seemed to frustrate Junpei, "Hey, get back here!" He took two steps forward when Mitsuru came over the communicators and stopped him.

"Wait!" she prompted, "Something's not right… The enemy is acting strangely."

"But if we don't go after it, we're gonna lose it!" Junpei argued.

There was silence a moment before Mitsuru spoke again, "Arisato, you're in command there. What do you think?"

"We need to be cautious," Minako answered, "That Shadow's actions were weird, it could be a trap."

"I agree," Mitsuru replied, "It would be foolish to blindly chase after it.

Junpei looked rather annoyed and pissed at Minako's decision, "…Fine, I'll go myself. You guys just stay back and watch me beat it all by myself!" He turned and ran off into the next car without even waiting for the other two to say something.

"Ah – Wha – Junpei!" Minako called.

"Junpei! Wait!" Yukari called as well.

"Watch out! Behind you!" Mitsuru warned the two girls suddenly.

Turning just in time, Minako managed to block an attack from the book wielding shadows, saving her and Yukari some damage. They were thrown in to battle then, but it wasn't so hard with the way the two brunettes worked together. Minako took a swing at them, and when and if they dodged, Yukari then struck them down with her bow, where Minako then could finish them off.

Yukari sighed, "This is just what the enemy wanted…" she groaned.

"We have no choice…" Mitsuru began, sounding like she was at a slight loss. "You have to go after him, or you'll be picked off one by one."

"Dammit, Stupei!" Yukari growled, frustrated at their teammate's actions, "What are you thinking!"

"From what I can tell, he's only a few cars ahead," Mitsuru informed.

"Okay," Yukari replied, "We'll catch up to - -" She was interrupted by three more Shadows dropping down from above, blocking their path, "Gah! Get out of our way!" She shouted, stringing an arrow to her bow.

Thanks to Yukari needing to vent her frustration, the battle passed rather quickly, and the two were soon on their way to catch up with Junpei. They ran ahead into the next car, hurrying to catch up to him. "Junpei's not in this car either," Yukari said, worried, as they passed through the next car. She sighed, "He should have known it's too dangerous to go alone. Don't you think he's acting weird? Did you say something to upset him, Minako?"

"Me?" Minako echoed, "I didn't say anything!" She wasn't like Yukari, who always seemed to give Junpei a hard time. But Minako wouldn't say it, they needed to get along and work together, saying unnecessary things would only ruin that cooperation.

"Well, we can ask him once we've caught up to him!" Yukari added, urging them to continue looking for him.

They were halfway through the car after that when the two spotted him. "There he is!" Yukari shouted.

Yeah, like Minako couldn't already see him.

"Shoot! He's surrounded! We've gotta help him!"

No… Minako was thinking of watching him struggle and die – Of course they were going to help him Ms. Let's-state-the-obvious!

The two ran forward, closing in on the battle. "Junpei!" Yukari called as they got closer.

"I've got it under control!" Junpei shot back, "Take this, you freak of nature!"

"Let's go, Yukari-chan," Minako prompted. Yukari nodded, and the two charged into battle to assist their comrade. Again it was only three enemies, and as soon as Minako was in the frey and calling the shots, the battle was made short and sweet.

Yukari sighed as soon as the battle was over and turned a glare to the male on their team. "See! That's what happens when you don't listen!" she scolded, "…So, are you all right?"

"O-Of course I am…" Junpei retorted, not looking at either girl, "I was doin' just fine…"

"Excuse me!" Yukari shot back, looking rather angry that Junpei didn't seem to appreciate them aiding him in battle just then.

"Junpei, look," Minako began, stepping forward and interrupting Yukari, "Whatever it is that one of us did to upset you or something," _or whatever may have happened that made you think you had to prove yourself_, she added as a side note mentally, "We're sorry. But we're allies – a team – it doesn't work if we don't work together. You're just as important to the team as Yukari and me so let's work together like we're supposed to. We can figure things out later and deal with them then."

Junpei had opened his mouth, ready to retort with something, when Mitsuru came over the communicator again. "Be careful, you three! I don't detect any movement, but stay alert!" As if she had triggered it, the monorail suddenly shook, and then began to move.

"Whoa, what the!" Junpei looked out the window to verify that the monorail actually had began to move even though it was the Dark Hour, "…Why're we moving!"

"It seems the monorail is under the enemy's control…" Mitsuru stated.

"Whaddya mean, 'it seems'!" Yukari replied, obviously the thing was moving.

Suddenly the monorail seemed to pick up speed, making the three stumbled a bit where they stood. "Uh… This doesn't look good."

"…If we cant stop that thing, it'll crash into another train!" Mitsuru informed.

"WHAT!" Yukari exclaimed, not bothering to try and conceal the fright that put into her. "Oh, God! What are we gonna do!"

"Calm down and listen," Mitsuru urged, "I sense a strong presence in the front car, that must be the one we're after. You'll have to defeat if to stop the train!"

"Then we need to hurry!" Minako prompted. But just to their luck, a table looking shadow and two hand shadows appeared before them, blocking their way, "What!"

"What kind of messed-up ride is this!" Junpei groaned.

The battle was rushed, and they got a few scrapes, but the three managed to end the battle quickly without any troubles. "You don't have much time! Run!" Mitsuru exclaimed as soon as the battle was over.

"Hurry!" Minako ordered, running towards the door to the next car.

They'd made it halfway through the next car when the monorail seemed to go faster. "H-Hey! We're gaining speed!" Yukari pointed out, the fear in her voice only increasing.

"Keep moving!" Minako urged as they pressed forward. Forcing their way through one last group of Shadows, Minako and the others made it to the door of the first car.

"Your primary target is up ahead… Are you ready?" Mitsuru asked over the communicator.

Minako grit her teeth, "Even if we're not we don't have much of a choice, Senpai," she answered. Grabbing the handle to the door, Minako looked back to her team once, "Let's go!" she shouted as she opened the door and the three charged in.

Inside was a large shadow in the shape of a woman. Half of her was painted black, and the other half white. Her hair was opposite her body and looked like scrolls stretching out across the front of the car, distorting it.

"There it is…!" Junpei exclaimed, then seemed to actually see it, "What the hell! Is this the friggin' boss?"

"We're in the front car; it's gotta be!" Yukari insisted.

"Hurry!" was the only thing Mitsuru inputted into their bit of conversation.

"Right! Let's go!" Minako ordered. They charged in, ready for anything….well almost. It took one mishap to find out that the thing gained health from ice, but took damage from everything else. When the Shadow summoned one of those book-carrying shadows, it took them only a second to discover it was weak to ice. After that Minako called those shadows. She told Yukari to provide Junpei with backup, and just let Junpei go all out. Minako attacked when she could, but mainly she kept it open for Junpei to attack by taking down the little minions she summonsed.

Eventually, what felt like a long time, the three managed to take it down. It cried out, seeming to melt into the ground as it faded into nothing. "Did we make it in time?" Junpei asked, worried. He looked around and then came to stare at the windows in horror, "…Hey! Why're we still moving!"

"We're going too fast!" Yukari exclaimed, "We have to put on the brakes or else…!"

"What are you waiting for! There's a train up ahead!" Misturu shouted over the reciever.

"Dammit!" Junpei shouted, "I don't know how to stop this thing!"

If there was ever a time for the leader to take responsibility, it was now. "Leave it to me!" Minako shouted, pulling open the door to the conductor's spot. There was a whole panel of knobs, buttons and levers. Minako honestly didn't know which one it was either, but there was no time to think. She grabbed the closest lever that looked like a break to her and pulled it back.

"Kyaaaaa!" The three of them lost their balance and fell as the train jerked to a sudden halt, the breaks screeching until the monorail froze on the track completely.

They slowly pushed themselves up, looking around nervously. "D-Did we stop…?" Junpei asked, wondering if they made it or if they were dead.

"I-I think so…" Yukari answered, looking rather relieved.

Minako sighed, standing up and brushing herself off. Looking around, they sure as heck stopped…and not a second too soon. "Is everybody all right!" Mitsuru asked worriedly over the communicators.

"Uh, y-yeah, we're okay," Yukari answered. She laughed nervously, using a nearby seat to help her stand up, "My knees are shaking…"

"Dude…" Junpei breathed, looking like he was about to pass out from the scare alone, "I'm like, drenched in sweat… Hey, are you okay, Minako-tan?"

Minako was trying to compose herself while the other two had been talking, but her hands wouldn't stop shaking. That had been terrifying. All their lives had been in her hands, and if she hadn't pulled the right lever… "I was so scared…" she answered, her voice shaking almost as bad as her hands were.

"Aw, c'mon, don't cry," Junpei insisted, stepping up to her, "Where's my handkerchief…?" He searched his pockets to giver her something to dry her eyes with.

"I-It's okay," Minako answered. She laughed a bit, drying her eyes with her sleeve. "We're okay, so it's all right."

"You sure?" Junpei asked, concerned.

The brunette nodded, "I'm sure," she answered, receiving a pat on the head from him as reassurance.

Mitsuru sighed over the communicator, "I'm so glad you're safe…I'm sorry I couldn't do more on my end. I don't detect any more Shadows. You guys did a great job, so come on home."

Yukari paused a moment, looking at Minako, "But, how did you know which one was the brake?" she asked.

Minako laughed nervously, "Um… would you hate me if I said I just took my chances?"

"You serious!" Junpei exclaimed. He groaned then, "Ah, whatever. Wanna grab a bite to eat? I'm freakin' hungry!"

"Uhhh, hate to break it to you, Junpei, but girls don't usually get hungry in the middle of the night…" Yukari retorted.

"I do," Minako interjected, raising her hand.

"You do?" Yukari asked, surprised.

"I do," Minako insisted, nodding her head.

Yukari looked between the two nervously, "I wouldn't mind stopping by a corner store, though," she said eventually with a slight smile.

"All right, well let's hurry back before the Dark Hour is over," Minako insisted. "I don't want to have to walk all the way back from Port Island Station."


	6. Midterms? Oh Hell No!

_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH - okay! So I had to hurry and finish this one so I can warn you all. My pre-ordered and paid off Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep comes out today, so I might not be posting for a while. I dunno how addicted to it I'll get. :T So I'm warning you that the next chapter might be some time. _

**_Akihiko:_**_ But dont worry, we wont let her forget about the fanfic. She'll be updating as soon as she can break away from the game._

_Haha, you got that right, Senpai._

_**Akihiko: **So, to get down to business, today's chapter is dedicated to three people; Missy-chan, Yun, and Harmony-chan. We hope you enjoy this long chapter._

_Harmony-chaaaaaaan! -flails- OMG I CANNOT get over how AWESOME you SUPER LONG reviews are! They make me laugh so hard. I seriously want to make Hidetoshi eat Yukari's sweater now! D: Oh, and there's another pedo rant coming when Ken shows up. 8D Yay~ Anyway, take it away, Senpai, so I can go get my game!_

_**Akihiko:** *chuckles* Right, well, Here's the next chapter, please enjoy._

* * *

_(5/10) __SUNDAY_

Never before had Minako been do grateful for a Sunday. The fight and fright on the monorail had been more than enough to exhaust her, let alone pushing herself for the energy to get her butt in gear and back to the dorm. She had passed out as soon as her head hit the pillow. So when morning came, Minako was still out cold for a few hours still. It was only later when her phone went off did she wake up. The brunette, still slightly groggy from all the happenings of the previous night, reached out for her phone lazily.

Rolling onto her back, she flipped it open and held it up to her ear. "Hello?" she answered.

"Hello?" that wonderful alluring voice answered, "This is Theodore. I sense an intense power deep within Tartrus. It seems a path that was blocked is now open…" he informed, "Please be careful…"

"Huh?" It took Minako a moment to piece together what he was saying as her brain started up again to function for the day, "Oh, thank you, Theo," she answered.

"Have a nice day," he said before hanging up.

Minako closed her phone and rolled back over to her side to catch a few more hours of sleep before actually getting up to do something for the day. She was very persistent in sleeping as long as possible, but eventually the sun invading her room was too much for her, and she ended up having to get up. She sat on her bed, her mind wandering for a good five minuets before she snapped out of it. It was like her brain kick started and demanded her cooperation. Hopping off her bed, she dressed in her Angora sweater and her plad skirt. Pulling on her black stockings, she slipped on her shoes next and then grabbed her red scarf.

She yawned on her way down to the lounge after having taken the time to pull her hair up once again. Minako had tried to talk to Junpei and Yukari, seeing if they wanted to do anything that day. However, both were still stuck on the previous night, musing about how they could have died, and how she had saved their lives. Minako didn't want to think much about it – just the reminder of the incident sent a shiver down her spine.

Looking over to where her Senpai sat next to each other on the couch, Minako walked over. Mitsuru looked particularly glum that day, her posture a little slouched. It looked like she couldn't concentrate on her book at all. "Mitsuru-senpai, are you okay?" she asked.

Mitsuru looked up from her reading material, "I wasn't strong enough last time," she began, "Which resulted in a difficult situation. I apologize for that."

So even Mitsuru was stuck on the events of the Dark Hour last night. The brunette shook her head, "No need to apologize, Senpai. We went in there knowing that anything could happen."

"That's very kind of you…" She said, looking down and away from Minako's gaze, "But, even if you forgive me, I don't think I can forgive myself." When Mitsuru made eye contact with Minako again, there was a new flame of determination in them, "I promise to be stronger if there is a next time."

"I'll be counting on you then, Senpai," Minako smiled.

With a nod of dismissal, Mitsuru returned to attempting to read her book. Minako left the dorm then with nothing better to do. Wandering towards the station, she thought of how to spend her time. She didn't want anything too difficult since she didn't feel all that well. Maybe she'd pay Theo a visit since he'd called her this morning. Getting on the monorail made her rather nervous that morning, and she was more than happy to get off as soon as it came to a stop. Heading past the turn that lead to her school, Minako went onward to Paulownia Mall, and to the back alley by the stairs where the door to the Velvet room lie in wait during the non-Dark Hours.

Theo had been in the middle of serving Igor some sort of hot beverage, possibly tea, when Minako entered. The blonde turned to the sound of the door opening after setting the cup and coaster down for his master. His face seemed to light up when he saw Minako. "Welcome to the Velvet Room," he greeted, polite as always as he bowed, a hand over his chest. "I have something important to tell you today."

So then it was a good idea to have come to the Velvet Room after all. He could have just told her that he wanted to speak with her when he called that morning. She wouldn't have taken that long if he had. "Yes?"

"My master has asked that I inform you about the Persona Compendium," Theo began, "By registering Personas, you can summon them later whenever you wish. Please speak to me if you wish to review the Compendium."

"Could I see the Compendium?" Minako asked curiously.

Theo gave her a smile as he picked up a rather large book from the table, "Why, certainly. Please, have a seat."

Minako took a seat in her usual chair, and Theo brought the book to her. Kneeling at her side, yet still managing to be at her height, Theo placed the book on her lap and opened it. "The front pages are my requests; which you may look through any time you wish," he explained. Reaching over to a red tab that stuck out of the book, Theo turned the stack of pages to another section.

"Theo, these pages are blank," Minako pointed out. Indeed, every page past the red tab he had turned to had been blank, not even a single scribble on them.

"That is because you've yet to register any Persona in the Compendium," Theo informed. "Would you like to register the Persona you have with you now?" At Minako's nod, Theo stood, stepping to stand before her. He held out his hand, palm toward her. With a slight gleam to his eyes and a smile, there was a small burst of light, and out from Minako came what appeared to be several cards. Each card had an image of a Persona on it – much like the cards Minako would see in her mind at the end of battle. Collecting those cards in his gloved hands, Theo placed them in the book. The book glowed for a second, and suddenly the amount of cards that had been drawn from Minako, filled an equal amount of pages in the book. On those pages it listed the persona's name, the type, it's strengths and weaknesses, and the skills it knew. "As your Persona grow and evolve," Theo began, "You may re-register them in the Compendium so that you may withdraw them at their highest level when you need them."

"So then does this mean I can only hold up to a certain amount of Persona inside myself?" Minako asked.

Theo nodded, "That is absolutely correct, Minako. From now on, when you receive a new persona, I will record it in the compendium as well, but you still should come register them if used in battle so that their strengths and abilities may be recorded as well."

Minako smiled, "Cool, thanks Theo, this will really come in handy." Looking over the pages, she then turned back to the request section. It wasn't as big as the blank pages for the compendium, but that just made it easier to see what requests there were. One request caught her eye, "A handheld game system?" she asked, looking up from the book.

"Ah, yes," Theo replied, "I would like to see a handheld game system. I believe your best opportunity to get it from someone would be on the fourteenth of this month."

"Hm, okay then," Minako answered. Looking over the requests, she decided on three that she would try to do…of course that would probably have to wait until tomorrow. Everyone was still probably tired from last night's fright. "Thanks for your help Theo, I'll come by again."

"Well then…" Theo bowed again after taking the book from her. He walked her to the door and even opened it for her. "I look forward to your next visit."

After leaving the Velvet Room, Minako wandered around the mall for a bit. She tried to win a Jack Frost doll from the crane machine, but she wasn't all that good and only ended up wasting her money. With a sigh, the brunette decided to head over to Changall Café to have some coffee. She took her time drinking the Pheramone coffee, just relaxing and trying not to over do things.

When Minako returned to the dorm that evening, Junpei was the one to welcome her back, still kind of staring off into space, amazed at everything that had gone down yesterday. Ikutsuki was sitting near where Junpei was standing, spacing out. Minako walked over to the pedo—ahem – to the Chairman and greeted him. He had apparently been going over last night's mission with Mitsuru.

"What a difficult mission! I cannot believe what happened to you all," he commented, turning his gaze to the brunette, "Luckily no one was hurt. Oh, and by the way, I heard there was some trouble on the monorail last night. But that's a separate matter now, isnt it?" He laughed, ending the conversation there.

Way to wait for her input, jerk. Oh well, Minako was tired, therefore she wanted to go to bed. "Well, I'm heading up to my room for some rest," she announced, "Junpei-kun, Yukari-chan, make sure you guys get a good night's sleep as well so you don't get sick." Heading up to her room, she hardly bothered to change her clothes before falling onto her bed and going to sleep.

_(5/11) __MONDAY_

"Wazzup?" Junpei called, approaching Minako at the shoe lockers. "Today is just an ordinary day, huh? That was crazy though, the day before yesterday." He started to pull off his shoes to switch them with the school slippers. "I've never had that kinda thrill in all my life…Don't you think it's been getting more exciting lately?"

"Yeah, definitely!" she answered with a nod and a grin. She dropped her slippers down and slipped them on, tapping the tip against the floor to make sure she wasn't going to be stepping on any rocks.

"Totally," Junpei agreed with a grin of his own. "…We wont the battle and saved the city…How sweet is that!"

Minako laughed, but that laughter soon died down when she realized what class they had that day. "Aw man… today is Mr. Ekoda, isnt it…?" she asked glumly. "What a way to start things off…" she grumbled as they trudged into the classroom.

Minuets later, class started up and the snobby Mr. Ekoda entered the classroom. "I'm sure you all remember that midterms start next Monday," he lectured, receiving a groan from the class. "If you paid attention during class and studied diligently at home, you should have no problems." He seemed to glare to the right side of the classroom, "Of course, the best way to prepare for a difficult exam is to sleep through class, like Junpei here. Hmph…" He turned, walking back to the podium that made him feel so smart and almighty, "If you choose to neglect your duty as a student and waste your life in idleness, then be my guest…"

The brunette didn't appreciate Mr. Ekoda bagging on Junpei like that while the guy was asleep. Sure, he shouldn't sleep in class as much as he did, but that didn't give the teacher the right to rip him a new one. Talk about being a coward. Just to prove a point, Minako would get best scores out of the whole class on the exam…._and_ sleep though this jerk's lecture. Crossing her arms on her desk, not even bothering to hide the face she was going to sleep, Minako lay her head down and closed her eyes, letting the lecture pass over her without her knowing.

Minako felt great when she woke up for lunch time. She'd brought one of the Melon bread that Bunkichi had given her before for lunch, so she was in no hurry to get food. She did, however, head down to get a tea after eating her bread. On the way back she ran into Hidetoshi. The second-year looked surprised to see her in the hallway, but smiled none the less.

"Hey, are you coming to Student Council today?" he asked curiously.

Minako thought about it, "I plan on it, but if Rio needs me to attend Tennis practice then I'll have to skip out this time.

Hidetoshi nodded, "I see. I'll be there of course. Have I told you how I impressed I am with your efforts?" That caught Minako off guard, and he seemed to notice that, "Well, excuse me," he said with a nod before heading off.

As Minako waved him off, who of all people approached her then? "Minako-san…?" Rio called from behind her. Minako turned, smiling and greeting her friend. "Oh, that's right, you're in this class, huh? Practice today. You are coming, arent you?" she asked.

"I plan on going," she answered with a grin, "I promised, didn't I?"

"Okay," Rio replied with a cheerful smile, "I'll see you later, then."

Returning back to the classroom, Minako made sure to pay attention and take notes. Class passed pretty quickly, thank goodness, and soon Minako was packing up her things and getting ready to go. She was out the door and around the corner. "Rio!" she called, catching the sporty girl standing outside her classroom.

Rio turned, smiling when she saw Minako, "Hey, Minako!" She turned her head this way and that, cracking her neck and then rolled her shoulders, "Man… I'm tired. I'm stiff as a board…I was asleep the entire period…Have you ever slept during class?"

"Yup, I did it today even," Minako agreed with a nod and a laugh to accompany Rio's.

"Sometimes, it works like a charm…" she yawned then, a hand over her mouth, "…but not today. I'm still sleepy."

Minako linked arms with the girl, dragging her off towards the stairs, "Well then, let's get our butts to practice and wake you up." Rio didn't put up much of a fuss, and instead the two girls laughed all the way to the locker rooms. They changed quickly and ran out to the court to be the first ones there. Rio showed Minako some more of the basics as the other girls arrived.

After waiting five minuets, Rio seemed to decide that they'd gotten as many of the members that were showing that day. So Rio paired off the girls and had them play one on one games after a few sprints to warm up. "C'mon, get those legs moving!" She coached some time later, watching some of the girls lazing about their practices, "You need to get in front of the ball!"

"Rio, can we take a break yet…?" one of the short-haired girls complained.

Rio looked like the girl said there were unicorns flying over her head, "Huh? But we're just getting started!"

"But we're all tired!" the girl complained again, the other members stopping to chime in their agreement, "It's not like we're gonna make the finals or anything anyway!"

She was silent a moment, looking over the rest of the team. Her brows furrowed and she placed her hands on her hips, "We could if we tried!"

"Huh…?" The other club members didn't seem to get it, nor did they seem to have the enthusiasm to catch on. They looked at each other in confusion, wondering where Rio was getting this from.

"True, our team might be weak now, but who knows what we can do if we seriously put our minds to it!" Rio encouraged, trying to bring out their fighting spirits. She really seemed to want them to take things seriously, and play with full effort, rather than the half-hearted crap they'd been putting forward so far.

The other members of the club seemed to fall into a sullen silence, looking amongst themselves before turning their gaze back to Rio. "You're the only one that wants to take it that far…"

Rio looked insulted, "…Who said that?" she demanded. When none of the members spoke up and admitted to it, Rio got frustrated, "You just need determination…" She sighed, shaking her head.

"I don't think we're in the mood to keep going today," One of the girls with her hair pulled into twin buns stated, "Let's just go, guys."

"But the bell hasn't - -" Rio began, then stopping as the other members already began to walk off. She watched them go in silence, her gaze then falling into something of a girl who had been hurt by the misunderstanding of others. It seemed only then that she notice Minako was still there, standing just to her side. She'd been there to watch the whole thing, choosing not to interfere for fear of making things worse for either side. "Oh, Minako-san…" She seemed to bring up a wall then, putting on a face to hide the loss she was at, "Wh-Why don't you leave too? Looks like practice is over for today anyway…I'll be find on my own…"

Minako was silent a moment, rather surprised at Rio's behavior. She then smiled, "Spot me while I do sit-ups?" she asked.

Rio looked surprised for a second, but that look soon melted into a smile, "Okay…" she answered, "…Thanks." She looked ready to cry a little, and even wiped at her eyes for a second before they continued on with practice, just the two of them. The time passed a bit slower than last time, but they kept at it, doing the same routine, but with less people. "Ah, it's almost time…" she mused, taking a look at her wristwatch. "Um…About today…"

"Is it always like this?" Minako asked curiously. It was, after all, her second practice.

"…Yeah," Rio answered reluctantly, laughing a bit. "All I want is to play tennis. Everyone else just spends practice talking about guys or loafing around…" She sighed, scratching her scalp for a moment. "Oh, I shouldn't be saying this to someone who just joined up. If… you wanna play tennis, it'll be a lot of work. But you're welcome to change your mind if you want." She laughed then, as if her words were meant to be taken as a light-hearted statement.

Not that Minako was going to quit tennis because of what happened today.

"Let's clean up and go home," Rio suggested with a smile, "I'm so hungry. Why don't we go grab a burger or something?"

After Minako agreed to Rio's suggestion, the two of them leaned up the tennis court before changing back into their uniforms. Chatting about their classes on the way back, they stopped by a burger place and had some dinner before returning to their respective homes.

As soon as Minako entered the dorm room, Mitsuru greeted her, while adding, "It seems some of the equipment in the command room is malfunctioning. Could you look into it? I shouldn't take long."

Minako raised a brow, "Me?" she asked, pointing to herself.

"I asked Akihiko and Iori," Mitsuru began, taking a quick glance at the Senpai mentioned on the couch next to the armchair where she sat. "But judging by their responses, I doubt they were taking me seriously. This isnt an order, just a favor. If you have nothing else to do, I'd appreciate this."

"Um… sure," Minako replied, "I can take a look at it and see if I can do something."

Mitsuru gave a slight smile, "Thanks."

"Yeah." Minako nodded. Her first stop was to talk to Yukari and Junpei and see if they were up for Tartrus that night. Unfortunately, not only was Yukari tired, but Junpei was feeling sick. She sighed, "Go to bed early and watch your health, Junpei. Didn't you listen yesterday when I suggested we all go to bed early?"

Junpei only laughed a bit in response, scratching the back of his head.

Minako sighed, "Right, right. Well, then we'll skip out on Tartrus tonight. I'll head up to the command room and check out the computer, but after that I'll be in my room if any of you need me, okay?"

"Okay, cool," Yukari answered, returning to her magazine.

Up in the command room, Minako was looking about the control panel, wondering how the darn thing worked in the first place. Then she seemed to figure out that the surveillance camera had activated on its own due to the malfunction. Curious, Minako started up the recording on there and watched.

_(05/10/2009) 01:23:02 Beginning playback_

The screen displayed the control room, right where she was standing. Sitting alone in a chair at the control panel was Ikutsuki, writing something down on a note pad. "Hm… A shadow in the middle of town…It managed to take over public transportation…" he mused to himself. He seemed to be going over the report Mitsuru had made on the monorail event. "I should investigate whether this means it's finally begun…Monorail…Listen to the monorail in monaural…" Suddenly Ikutsuki giggled, "Oooh, I mist make a note of that one…" He scribbled down some notes on the notepad sitting on his lap before returning to his musings. "Luck played an uncomfortably large part in the victory…Especially towards the end…if she hadnt guessed the right controls, things could have been very bad." He stroked his chin in thought, "For Shadows to work in a group to overrun a large machine is unprecedented…The engine…" He took a deep breath then, his face completely serious as he said, "That, was an engine-ous move!" The grin broke across his face again and he laughed once more at his lame pun. "What's with me today! I'm on a roll! Oh yeah, better write that one down too…" He scribbled at the paper feverently once again, making note of his bad joke.

"One should always wear bright clothing at night…" he began, completely off topic now, "Otherwise, the Shadows could make it dangerous to walk near traffic!" He laughed again, "Whoa, I'm getting a little off subject…but who cares! Hey! I should write all these down and show them off the next time everyone gets together!" He paused a moment, fishing in his mind for another one of his 'great' jokes. "Don't care for seafood? They also serve _ground_ beef!" He broke out into laughter again, "This has nothing to do with the status report anymore, but I'm having a blast! Let's see, what else…"

Thankfully, the recording ended there. Minako was then put into something of a bad mood after having to listen to so many bad puns in such a short amount of time. Leaving the control panel behind, Minako decided to head back to her room. She worked on her homework, and then hurried off to bed, hoping her teammates would get better soon.

_(5/12) __TUESDAY_

"Mornin'," Yukari called, catching Minako just as she passed the gate. "You hear the news…?" she asked as they walked towards the front doors to the school together. "There've been fewer new cases of Apathy Syndrome the last few days. Senpai said it's probably because we beat that Shadow. Wouldn't it be great if that was true?"

"It's because we did our best!" Minako insisted with a smile to match the one that crept onto Yukari's face.

The other brunette nodded as they approached their shoe lockers, "I think so, too," she agreed, "It was dangerous, but I'm glad we did it. We shouldn't get carried away, though, cuz we have midterms next week." She sighed, upsetting herself by mentioning the dreaded tests that were to come. "Let's just hope nothing like that happens again until Midterms are over…Oh, that reminds me, Junpei told me something…Mitsuru-senpai is supposedly going to give us something nice if we do well on our tests." Yukari didn't seem to look all that hopeful as she sighed, "I bet Mitsuru-senpai's standards are so high that she wont give us anything unless we're in the top ten in our grade…"

"Maybe," Minako answered with a laugh, "But we've still got to give it out best anyway, so why not aim big?" So that day the two –or at lead Minako would like to think it was not just her – put their all into taking notes and paying attention during class. She'd been so focused on the lesson that she had been surprised when the bell for lunch rang.

With a shrug, Minako closed her notebook and headed down to the store to get some bread for lunch before all the good ones were gone. It was after she'd eaten her food and was sipping her bottled tea outside her room did she hear someone approach her.

"Oh, what a coincidence," Saori said as she stopped, spotting Minako, "Oh yeah, today's a committee dau. Come if you have time, okay?"

"It's my job," Minako replied with a smile, "I'll be there, Saori-chan."

Saori smiled sweetly, "Haha… Oh, that sounds promising. I'll see you later, then."

With lunch break almost over, Minako headed back into the classroom for the afternoon lessons. Again, thanks to her paying such close attention, class passed by quicker than she expected. Next thing she knew Junpei was 'passing by' her desk. "Hey, Minako, going anything today?"

"Yeah, sorry," Minako replied with an apologetic smile, "I've got library committee today."

"Whoa, they've got you doing _that_ too? How many things are you in?" Junpei said, looking rather impressed with her, "Just don't overwork yourself with Tartrus ontop, you hear?"

Minako smiled brightly, "Yeah, I hear ya. Thanks, Junpei-kun." With a smile in return from him, Minako headed out of the classroom and went to the library to work as a committee member.

That day, very few students seemed to have come to use the library. It was odd, since Midterms were coming up, Minako expected the place to be full of students studying. Since there wasn't much to do with so little activity, Minako found herself bored out of her mind.

"We havent had many visitors today…" Saori mused, leaning on the counter next to Minako.

"Yup," Minako agreed dully.

Suddenly, Saori straightened out, "Oh! That's right. Ms. Ounishi said that some new books have come in." She turned to Minako with a smile, "Can you help me put barcodes on them and enter them in the system?"

"Of course!" Minako agreed. Not only would it be great to help out Saori, but it would give the both of them something to do.

Saori smiled that beautiful smile of hers, "I'll go get them. If anyone comes to the counter while I'm gone, help them." Seeming to rather enjoy herself, Saori trotted off to the door to go fetch the new books. Just as she was opening the door, she seemed to run into someone, "Eek…" Stepping back, she helped pick up the book and a few papers that had been spilt by the other student. "Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized to the girl.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry," a student with her hair pulled up in buns apologized. "Uh, Saori-san…Um…" For some reason, the girl was flustered while trying to get her words together. Maybe it was because she'd literally ran right into Saori, or maybe it was because Saori had picked up her things and was returning them to her.

"Me? What is it?" Saori asked innocently, genuinely wondering what the girls request was.

The girl seemed to fidget, unable to look Saori in the eye, "Well…um…C-Could I borrow your physics notes?" she asked. "The teacher erases the blackboard too fast for me to copy them down…"

That lovely smile was on Saori's face once again, "Oh, of course. I've been taking a lot of notes for physics, too…I'm not too good at the class myself, so I need to pay attention."

"Oh, um…that's all right," the girl hesitated, thinking that Saori wasn't going to give her the notes because of that.

"…I see. Give me one second." Saori walked back to the counter, getting her back from behind it, and pulled out a notebook. Walking back over, she handed it to the flustered girl at the door.

The girl's face seemed to light up, "Oh, great. Thanks…" With that, the girl hurried off, leaving the library, Saori smiling and waving her off.

"She's my classmate," Saori explained when she spotted Minako watching the whole thing.

"She was very polite to you…" Minako observed.

"Heh, you noticed?" Saori asked with one of those smiles of hers. "We don't know each other all that well. But it feels good to have people rely on me…So…" Saori's smile turned slightly sad, "I've never gotten used to this school. …You're a transfer student, but you seem to have grown accustomed to this place really quickly. I see you sometimes in the hall, and you always look like you're having fun."

Minako was rather surprised. "You think so?" Minako asked. She'd just been chatting with a few of her friends, being asked to go in every direction possible at the same itme.

Saori laughed a bit with that lovely smile again, "Heh…That's right." A moment passed in silence, and then Saori seemed to look slightly puzzled, "Um…? What was I doing?" she asked, trying to recall what had been going on before she had run into her classmate. "Oh, I was going to get the new books. Watch the counter while I'm out."

"Got it!" Minako sang as Saori left the library again to get the books. She was bored with nothing to do the whole while Saori was gone. Once she returned, there was a full cart of books for them to go through, and the two smiled.

Eventually, thanks to the aid of all the books, the rest of the day in the Committee passed quickly. When their duties were done for the day, Minako parted with Saori after they got off the monorail together, headed to their individual homes.

"…Oh, hey," Yukari called as Minako entered the dorm that evening. "I was just about to go borrow my friend's notes," she explained as she approached the door, shrugging on a jacket. "Midterms are coming up, you know…So I'll have to pass today…Sorry."

"O-Oh, okay…" Minako answered as she watched Yukari pass by her and out the door. In the end it didn't turn out like they would be going even if Yukari was up for it. Junpei was still sick, locked upstairs in his room to try and sweat it out in bed. Minako shook her head. If he had been sick, he shouldn't have come to school. Sighing, Minako decided to just head off to bed. It wasn't like there was anything more to do. Of course, first she made sure to get her homework done first – but that wasn't anything big.

_(5/13) __WEDNESDAY_

It was almost a relief to overhear the two students gossiping once again. Listening in on them always seemed to clue her in on things better than the media. She didn't know where these kids were getting their information, but most the time it was accurate stuff, so she was just going to go with it.

"Did you hear the latest?" the girl asked, "Someone on the staff was hospitalized with some bad injuries. I heard the road suddenly collapsed and the guy's car fell thirty feet straight down!"

Wow – okay, now that was not something Minako was expecting to hear.

"Wow," the male student echoed, looking about as shocked at Minako did. "I've never heard of anything like that before…Is this school haunted?"

"I know, right!" The gossiping girl looked rather frightened. "I think I just felt a chill run down my spine… I should go to the nurse's office."

The boy suddenly seemed to pale, "Th-The nurse's office! That same place that staffer is resting? Are you kidding me?" He shook his head, "He'll give you weird medicine. You might end up feeling even worse!"

It was hard to believe that such a nurse existed…one that had medicine that would make you feel worse. She was certainly hoping that Junpei hadnt gone to the school nurse, and that's why he'd been sick for the past two days. Stepping away from the two gossips by the stairs, Minako headed up then and went off to her classroom.

During lunch, Minako was just on her way back from going to the bathroom when she heard footsteps approach her. Turning to look, she saw none other than Rio. The dark-haired tomboy waved with a smile, "Minako-san, hey," she called. "Practice is today. You are coming, aren't you?"

"I plan on going," Minako answered. Things had been slow at the dorm, so maybe going to practice would help her get back into things.

"Okay, I'll see you then," Rio said with a smile before heading off to her own classroom.

Minako had headed back inside a few moments later, seeing as class was about to start up again soon. She took her seat just as the bell for the end of lunch rang, and watched as other students filed in and packed up from lunch, setting up for class once more. It was Mr. Takenozuka for the afternoon lesson that day. He was a simple looking man, maybe in his mid-thirties. His hair was maybe a few shades darker brown than his tan skin, and wore some scruff on the bottom of his jaw pretty well. He was dressed very properly in a suit, the tie red with darker red lines darting across it in diamond shapes.

"…So let's discuss the Earth's rotation today," he began, "The Earth rotates once every 24 hours…All right, don't fall asleep or anything. It's basic, but it's an important premise for the rest." Frowning the teacher looked over the tired students. "Let's see…Hm…Minako?"

Sighing, the brunette stood. It seemed the teachers just loved calling on her since she liked to sleep though some of the longer, more boring lectures. "Yes?" she asked.

"How fast would you say the Earth rotates near the equator?" he asked. Obviously it seemed he was trying to pick a question that she wouldn't know the answer to easily. Maybe he was just tired of her sleeping through his lectures. He should at least be grateful she didn't sleep during his classes as often as she did during Mr. Ekoda's.

The brunette sighed again. Lucky for her, she had decided to cram in some study time last night before she decided she wanted to go to bed. That number had come up quite a few times when speaking about the Earth and rotation and all that fun stuff that science books like to ramble on about for pages. "About one-thousand-seven-hundred kilometers an hour."

Mr. Takenozuka looked rather impressed. "Correct! Near the equator, the earth spins faster than the speed of sound." With an approving smile and a nod, Mr. Takenozuka looked around the classroom once again, motioning her to sit down as he was making sure the class was awake. "All right, what's next…? Flip to the next page…Oh, this is an application. Let's skip that and… Hm, that's an experiment. Okay, um…"

Class seemed to struggle on for a while after that. Minako headed down to the student store when it all finished, buying a bottled tea to drink for after practice. As she was walking down the hall towards the doors on the other end, she heard something coming from the Home Economic's room. It sounded like a sewing machine.

Curiosity pulled her to the door, and she took a look at the scribbled note pasted to the door. It wasn't in Japanese, but thankfully, Minako was smart enough to be able to translate the text to read out; "Join Fashion Club! Meetings are Tues, Wed, Fri." Unable to shake her curiosity, the brunette opened the door and wandered in.

The home economics room was deccorated with bust-mannequins stationed near every table. Each table held four sewing machines. One sewing machine in the room was in use, and Minako recognized the boy at it from the Bookworms Used Books from the time they were looking for Bunkichi's wallet.

The blonde foreign student seemed to be rather happy there at the machine even though he was by himself. "…Yatta, yes! Zis eez ze best sewing I 'ave done!"

"Hello?" Minako called carefully, stepping further into the room. She hoped she wouldn't be surprising him and making him mess up on his 'best sewing'.

Bebe immediately stopped in his task and looked over to see Minako approaching the table he was using. "Oh! Konnichiwa, hello, Minako-sama!" he greeted rather enthusiastically. I 'aven't seen you since ze bookstore! You came! I am very 'appy!"

Minako smiled, pulling up one of the chairs before she took a seat down at the table with him. "What are you doing?" she asked curiously, looking at the sewing machine and the materials he was working with.

"I am learning ze art of sewing!" he answered quite proudly, "Zis eez tanoshii, very fun! Would you like to try?"

She had always wanted to learn how to sew. Tennis practice seemed to escape her mind entirely at the offer brought to her by her curiosity. Minako smiled, "Neat. Maybe I should try," she replied.

Bebe looked simply ecstatic, "Honto! Really! Arigatou, thank you!" He seemed to bounce in his seat he was so happy that there was someone joining him. "I am 'ere Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Before tests, zey wont let me in…I was sad because I did not 'ave any tomodachi - - friends - - since I came to Nihon - - Japan…But now I am happy!"

Minako smiled, glad that her showing up could make someone look so bright and happy. He was so energetic and joyful as he showed her what he was doing, explaining how the sewing machine worked to her, and letting her try for a while. It took some convincing since Minako didn't want to wreck whatever it was he was making, but he was more than happy to help her along and make sure she didn't do anything of the sort.

"Whoa! Look at ze time!" Bebe pointed out after the two of them had finished sewing a piece of whatever Bebe had been working on. "Well zen, Minako-sama, goodbye!" Minako had been just about to say goodbye herself when he spoke up again, "Oh, by ze way…I was wondering 'ow you bid farewell in Nihongo - - Japanese…"

The brunette smiled and laughed a bit, "Saionara is the formal way of saying goodbye…but friends tend to say 'Mata ne'. It's more casual."

"Wakarimashita, I understand!" he answered with a bright smile of his own, "Mata ne!" Practically skipping off in that bubbly happy mood of his, the foreign student left the room, leaving Minako on her own to head to the shoe lockers, and then back to the dorm.

"I'm tired of studying," Junpei complained with a sigh later when they were all back at the dorm and seated in the lounge. "Let's go to Tartrus."

Minako laughed a bit at Junpei's complaints, "I'll think about it, okay?"

Grinning as if she'd said yes, Junpei seemed to sit up a bit straighter with more energy to his eyes, "Sweet! I knew I could count on you!" Turning to the brunette seated on the couch next to him, he nudged her with his elbow, "You're comin' too, right Yuka-tan?"

"We _do_ have exams next week," Yukari reprimanded, looking slightly annoyed as she closed the book she'd been reading though. A quiet moment passed, lasting several heartbeats, "But, what the hell… I'll go."

If Junpei had looked excited before, he seemed to give the word new definition now. "Yeaaah! Now we're talkin'!"

After talking to Mitsuru about it, the group decided to go to Tartrus that night. Before heading out, Minako made sure to do her homework and read up a bit into the classes for tomorrow so that she was prepared for any more random idiotic questions.

As for Tartrus…well it felt like she hadnt been there in ages. Minako was more than ready to charge right in as soon as they got there. She took the time to ask Mitsuru about the barrier, and just as Theo had informed her, it was gone. So when they reached that floor, they were able to head up to the next section from there.

Everything was different there. There were no blood stains on the floors, and there was no checkered floors. Everything was purple then, and there were random faces sticking out of the walls. Minako stared at one for a few minuets, wondering if it was going to open it's eyes and start talking to them. "Don't you think this is a bit … I dunno, creepy?" she asked.

"Let's just ignore them and keep going," Yukari suggested, sounding a bit creeped out by them.

Minako and Junpei laughed a bit, "Right, right, let's keep moving," Minako said. That area's Shadows were tougher than the first block's. They were more persistent and harder to kill. A few times they'd knock down someone, but the three of them stuck together and fought hard. They'd managed a few floors before they were getting tired. Mitsuru said that there was a strong shadow five floor above them, and that they should turn back if they were tired for that night.

After the three of them decided that was a brilliant idea, they wandered around looking for the access point. Of course, there were a few more battles on the way, so by time they got back to the bottom floor, they were more than ready to leave so they could get some sleep.

_(5/14) __THRUSDAY_

At Lunchtime that day, Minako ran into Saori after buying her food. Saori smiled sweetly, "Oh, what a coincidence."

Minako smiled as well with a laugh, "A coincidence indeed."

"Are you coming to the committee today?" she asked curiously.

"I was planning on it," Minako answered. Tomorrow she'd have to apologize to Rio about skipping out on practice. "Ah, but I might not be able to if something comes up, so… I guess we'll play it by ear?"

Saori laughed, "All right, well I'll see you there if you have the time."

The afternoon classes passed in a blur. Minako didn't remember much, but then again, it was just the same thing she had reviewed the previous night…and a bunch of lectures on the upcoming Midterms. On the way out of the classroom after the lessons had ended, she ran into Junpei. The capped student talked her into hanging out with him that day since they hadn't had the chance in a while and she needed a break from all the boring school-related stuff she'd been dragged into. Minako would have to apologize to Saori later for skipping on the committee as well.

When they returned to the dorm, Akihiko greeted them. It seemed then that Junpei had a sudden brilliant idea, "Hey, let's go to Tartrus."

He must really not want to study.

"You can study anytime," he insisted, "We need to get stronger ASAP. Me n' Hermes will take down the next big Shadow ourselves!" He grinned at the thought, thinking himself the hero yet again.

"You seem confident," Minako laughed.

"Why shouldn't I be?" he replied.

Mitsuru cut in then from where she sat in the armchair, "How are your grades, Iori?" she asked.

"How are yours - -" Junpei began to shoot back, but then thought better of it, "Never mind. I already know."

Mitsuru seemed to smile confidently, a bit of a boasting air about her, "I'm currently studying college-level material, for your information."

Junpei's grin seemed to drain from his face. "Man, No I don't feel like doing anything at all…"

Minako patted Junpei on the shoulder with a slight laugh. "Hey, no worries we can still…." She trailed off, looking around the room only to find that Yukari was missing. "Mitsuru-senpai, where's Yukari-chan?" she asked.

"Oh, Takeba's up in her room studying," Mitsuru answered with a seemingly confident smile.

Minako sighed, "Okay then, never mind…" That certainly put a damper on her plans. "I guess we'll try for Tartrus tomorrow then…" Recalling the date, Minako decided to talk to Junpei to see if he could help her with a request she'd taken for Theo. "Hey, Junpei-kun, do you have a handheld game system?"

Junpei suddenly looked interested, "Oooh, you're lookin' for a handheld game system?" A grin spread across his face, "Admit it, Minako - - You're hooked!"

The brunette laughed a bit, "Well, yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Weeeelll… I just got the redesigned COMPstation Portable to replace my original model. No sense in keeping 'em both, so you can have the old one. I'll go get it. Wait one sec." Hopping off the couch, Junpei left his Shounen Jump behind and headed off to his room to retrieve the requested item. While he was away, Minako took a seat next to where he had been and started thumbing through the Shounen Jump. Not even a chapter of a manga later, Junpei was trotting back, grinning like always, "Here y'go. I'll take you on anytime!" Implying that he assumed they'd play the same games, Junpei handed the handheld game system over to Minako.

"Awesome!" Minako cheered, "Thanks Junpei."

"Hey, no problem," Junpei answered with a grin.

She headed out the front door then, and off to Paulownia Mall to give Theo the handheld game system. When she entered, she didn't even bother taking a seat at the chair set out for her. She walked over to Theo, who was standing in the corner, looking through the Persona Compendium. "Here, Theo," she said, offering him the game system before he had a chance to greet her to the Velvet Room.

"Is that a portable game system?" he asked, taking it from her and looking it over curiously. "I've heard these have special mechanisms that make the player forget about the passage of time…I see, so it sends out signals to alter the user's brainwaves…" Shaking his head, he offered the game system back to her, "Oh, no. I think I will refrain from trying it myself. Please, take it with you when you go."

Minako laughed, Theo's musings were always so funny. "All right, I'll take it with me," she answered, taking the game system back from him.

"Please, take this as your reward," he offered, handing her a heavy two-handed sword.

"Oh, wow, okay…" Minako didn't know how she was going to get this back home without causing a panic. Maybe she'd just drop it off with Officer Kurosawa for a while…or she could just say it's a collectable she's picking up for someone….Meh, she'd figure something out.

"Is there anything else I can assist you with?" Theo asked.

Minako smiled, "No, that's okay. I just wanted to deliver it to you as soon as possible."

"Well then…" Theo escorted her to the door like the last time he'd been there. "I look forward to your next visit."

Leaving the Velvet Room, Minako decided to drop the sword off at the police station for Officer Kurosawa to look after for her. She explained she didn't want to cause a panic by bringing it with her somewhere, and that she'd come pick it up later. After that, she decided to head off to Mandragora, the Karaoke place at the top of the stairs. She spent hours singing random songs and eating snacks before her time ran out and she had to head back to the dorm…

_(5/14) __FRIDAY_

In the morning, Minako ran into Mitsuru outside the school gates. "Good morning," she called, "Exams are coming up next week, are you prepared?"

"Of course," Minako answered, "I study a bit every night, even before we head off to Tartrus."

Mitsuru seemed pleased to hear such a thing. "Ah, just as I suspected. I'll be looking forward to seeing your grades…If they're good, I'll give you something…Consider it a reward." Mitsuru looked at her with a serious expression then, "To be honest, I'm not as well prepared as I should be. I'm still preoccupied with monitoring Shadows." She sighed, walking with Minako then towards the school, "At any rate, the number of incidents has decreased since our last mission. If we can continue to defeat them, we may be able to rid the public of fear…However, every time a new Shadow appears, it seems more powerful than the last. And even after Akihiko returns to battle, we still wont be at full strength…"

"What do you mean?" Minako asked, "Is there someone else on the team missing?"

Mitsuru only gave her a slight smile and shook her head, "No, it's nothing. I'm just talking to myself on that part." With no further explanation, the redhead shooed Minako off to class before she could get anymore information.

It was Mrs. Teraushi's class that day. She looked like that Selphie girl from the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts games the way she wore her hair curled up on either side like that. She donned a yellow headband in her hair that matched the ascot she wore along with her white shirt under a bright orange dress-suit.

She was….very bright….but not in the intelligent way…

"Let's translate the paragraph on page thirty, shall we?" she said, "The bell's going to ring soon, so make this quick! In this scene, the family is sitting down to dinner. Doesn't it warm your heart? Now, who wants to answer a question?"

Minako slouched in her seat a bit, trying to hide. _Not me, not me, not me, not me, not me—_

"Today's the fifteenth, so I'll pick…Minako!" the teacher sang happily.

_Dammit! How the hell does that work out to me!_ Minako swore the teachers were either out to get her, or this was karma for these awesome Persona powers she got. Sighing, Minako stood when addressed to answer the question.

"One of the items on the menu for the family is 'pan'. How would you translate this to English?" Mrs. Terauchi asked.

Really?

You know what, she should say chicken….just to piss of the teacher and make her think Minako didn't give a damn about the lesson.

"Bread," Minako answered, immediately throwing out her previous idea.

"Good job!" The teacher smiled brightly, clapping her hands together rather pleased, "'Pan' means 'bread' in English. The term 'pan' came from Portugal to Japan a long time ago. This will be on the next exam, so make sure you get this covered! We've still got a couple minuets left… Oh, in today's newspaper…"

Having been forgotten by one of the teacher's famous side stories of ADD quality, Minako decided to sit back down. She only half-listened to what she was saying before the bell rang, and then began to pack up her things. The brunette spent a good ten minuets wandering around the school, only to find that everything she could normally go to was locked up due to the upcoming exams. Huffing, she decided to leave the school and instead visit the old couple at Bookworms.

The Iwatodai strip mall wasn't all that crowded that day. There was mainly just Gekkoukan students, making up the majority of the people there. Passing by a group headed into Wild-duck Burger, Minako headed into Bookworms.

As she wandered in, she saw Bunkichi and Mitsuko back by the counter looking worried. "Oh, Minako-chan," Bunkichi greeted with a slight quirk to his lips, "We were just talking about you." Holding his pipe in one hand he walked over, patting her on the head. "I'm sorry for troubling you about the persimmon tree…"

"It's what you 'beleave' in," Minako pulled, a slight grin to her lips at the pun, "Why wouldn't I want to help?"

Bunkichi started laughing, "Good one, Minako-chan!" He was smiling and laughing as if he hadnt been worried or apologizing just a few seconds ago, "It's really nice having you around…I can make stupid puns whenever I feel like it!" His smile seemed to turn a bit sad around the edges, "…That persimmon tree is a reminder of our son…Before his death, he was a teacher at Gekkoukan High School…He planted that tree on graduation day with the students in his first class."

"That tree is about to bear fruit…" Mitsuko said, "Why now…? Why do they want to cut it down now?"

Minako didn't like to see the two like that, so worried and upset. "Don't worry," she said, "I'll see if I can do something."

"…Thank you, Minako-chan," Mitsuko said then, a soft smile on her wrinkled old face. "…That makes me feel a lot better. It's very comforting talking to you."

Bunkichi looked like he was about to ruffle her hair or hug her…maybe both, "Your kindness encompasses everything, Minako-chan. It's like looking at my wife when she was young!"

"Eh?" Minako could feel her cheeks heat at the compliment, "No, I'm sure I'm nothing like that – Mitsuko-san is a much kinder person."

Mitsuko laughed, "Now Dear, don't embarrass the poor girl like that."

Bunkichi only laughed.

Spending a few hours in the bookstore, Minako spoke with Mitsuko about books on sewing and knitting. The old woman helped her find some 'do-it-yourself' books on the subjects and simply gave them to her. Minako insisted on paying, she hated to take from their business like that, but the old couple insisted that this time it was their treat. When they finally had her convinced to just take the books, it was getting dark outside.

"Oh… I should get going…huh," Minako clutched the books to her chest, looking at the fading colors of the setting sun out the window. "I'll let you know about the progress of saving the tree next time I come, okay?" she offered.

"Don't worry too much about the tree," Bunkichi insisted, "Just stop by when you get the chance. Oh!" He turned and shuffled over to the counter, grabbing something up, "and take this. It's left over, but it's still good…" He stuffed a crab bread in her bag with a grin, "Take care."

"I will, you too," Minako said before heading off to return to the dorm.

When she returned to the dorm, she saw Akihiko and Mitsuru on the couches in the lounge. Junpei was at the dining table eating instant ramen, and Yukari was no where in sight. Minako sighed, it looked like another night of no Tartrus – what a bore. With nothing better to do, she headed up to her room and studied for a few hours before going to bed.

_(5/16) __SATURDAY_

Just as Minako was on her way in through the school gates, she was warned by that all familiar sting of a thousand glares. Stopping and turning a bit, she saw Akihiko jog up, coming to a stop next to her. He was panting and out of breath, "H-Hey."

Minako tilted her head a bit at the sight of a breathless Akihiko. It wasn't something she often saw…..well technically it was her first time seeing it. "Running late?" she asked. She didn't think the bell was going to ring all that soon, but maybe there was something he had to do before school?

With one last sigh, Akihiko composed himself, bringing his breathing back to normal, "No…The doctor said I'm almost fully healed, so…I couldn't wait to get some exercise. I'll be ready for battle after midterms, but that means I've got to start training now."

"Are you sure you should be pushing yourself though?" Minako asked, "I mean, it's good to start getting back into your routine, but if you push yourself right back up to where you left off the strain could set you back on finishing recovering."

Akihiko laughed a bit, a slight smile to his lips, "You sound like Mitsuru," he joked. "Don't worry, I already got an earful from her last night about my getting back to training. If I push too hard and get hurt, she'll have my head."

"Oh jeeze," Minako grumbled, rolling her eyes.

The two of them entered the school together, splitting up then to go to their shoe lockers and then to their respective classes. Minako's teacher for the morning classes that day was Ms. Miyahara – the one who thought she could do math. No matter how many times she saw that teacher, the afro always threw her off.

"Hmm…? That's strange…" the funky teacher mused, staring at the chalk board, where she'd been working on a math problem. " The answer turned out to be an extremely large integer. Fifty-sextillion times one-thousand two-hundred? …sixty septillion? Multiplied by… one-thousand eight-hundred and twenty? Ten octillion, nine-hundred and twenty septillion?" She frowned at the board, and then at the book, "These numbers are to big to fit on the blackboard…Errm…" Suddenly, Ms. Miyahara jumped, "Oh! I was using the wrong equation. If you plug in the numbers into the correct equation…The answer comes out to 3." Suddenly she was all smiled again, "What a beautiful equation this is!"

Minako wasn't up for the whole lesson being one misplaced equation after another…that would get old way to fast. She was tired from having stayed up so late studying even though they hadn't gone to Tartrus. She hadnt gotten a good night's sleep, so that might be the half of it. Slouching behind her math book, Minako closed her eyes and went to sleep, the teacher's droning fading out to black.

After school, there wasn't anything to do again thanks to the upcoming dreaded exams. So, sadly, Minako decided to head home. On her way, she recalled how students had spoken of a little girl who would play at the shrine by herself. Since it was on the way, Minako decided she'd give it a shot and check it out for herself. Before heading over there of course, she picked up some Takoyaki from the stand at the Iwatodai strip mall to munch on at home while working on her homework.

When she got to Naganaki Shrine, there indeed was a little girl, standing over by the jungle gym. "Hi, I'm Maiko," the little one chirped happily with a smile when Minako approached and said hi to her. "Who are you? Mom and Dad said not to talk to bad people…Are you bad?"

Minako laughed a bit, "No, I'm good."

Maiko leaned over, looking at her through squinted eyes and furrowed brows, "Reeeeally? You're not lying, are you?" She frowned and huffed, "I cant play right now because I'm hungry. There's something I really want…Oh!" The little girl jumped, seeing the takoyaki in Minako's hand.

The elder brunette looked down at the takoyaki she held, and then at the girl's eager face. With a slight sigh and a laugh, Minako offered the takoyaki to her, "You want it?"

"This is my favorite!" the little one cheered, taking the takoyaki happily, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Immediately she began eating the treat, bouncing around happily and full of energy. It only took her a minuet or so to eat it all up. "That was so yummy!" she exclaimed happily, still bouncing around, "I ate them all!" She stopped bouncing then, making a face, "But, now I'm thirsty…"

"Let's see what I have," Minako offered. She opened her bag, looking through the various and random items she kept inside. There was still half a bottled tea from her lunch that day….she wasn't going to share that, the girl was probably in the cootie phase at her age. "I have this?" she offered, pulling out a can of Mad Bull drink.

She seemed to have struck gold, for Maiko's face lit up once again and she was bouncing up and down, "Oh! That's my favorite too! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Happily grabbing up the can, Maiko popped the top and began to drink. She didn't bounce around this time like she had when she ate the Takoyaki…but that was probably so she wouldn't spill on herself. "Wow! I'm having so much fun!" She giggled, "You're nice! Will you be my friend? Come play with me again, okay?"

Minako offered a smile, patting the elementary school girl on the head, "Of course!"

"Really! Then, I'll wait for you here!" she declared with a bright smile, "You better not by lying!" Scampering around the girl, Maiko trotted to the steps, "I have to go home now, but we'll play again, okay? Bye-bye!"

And then the little one was gone.

Set in a good mood now thanks to that, Minako decided to head home….of course, curiosity made her stop at the actual shrine to pray for a moment, hoping to gain some sort of blessing. She prayed for stronger friendships…and good grades wouldn't hurt either.

When Minako returned to the dorm that evening, only Mitsuru was in the lounge, reading a book. When she entered, Mitsuru called her over, "This is a bit sudden, but do you want to go to Tartrus tonight?"

"Yes, I do," Minako answered. They hadnt gone much at all since Junpei had gotten sick, and then Yukari's persistent studying.

"I'm sorry," the redhead said, shooting down Minako's hopes to train, "but I must ask you not to go tonight or tomorrow night."

Minako's shoulders slumped, "What?"

"The others are busy studying for their exams, and do not have time to go," Mitsuru explained, "You should also be using this time to study."

With a sigh, Minako turned tail and trudged towards the stairs. Well this just sucked. Couldn't they do both? The others wouldn't have to cram so much if they studied a bit every day before going to Tartrus like Minako. As she passed through the second floor, she spotted Junpei and Akihiko sitting at the table out by the vending machines. "Hey guys, what's up?" she asked, walking over.

Akihiko looked up when Minako had called, "What's up?" he echoed. "Every time I come out here to take a break from studying, I see Junpei," he looked over at the manga-reading kid, raising an eyebrow before looking back at Minako, "Is that just a coincidence, or is he that big of a slacker?"

Minako laughed a bit, "I'm sure it's the latter," she answered, "But it's not like Junpei to be such s diligent student like you, Senpai."

"Ah, I suppose that's true…" Sighing, Akihiko stood up and stretched a bit. "Well, I better get back to studying." He seemed a bit reluctant to head back to his room and hit the books. He probably wanted to hit the books in the literal term rather than the figurative way.

Walking over to the other side of the table, Minako caught Junpei's attention, which had been originally wrapped up in the manga in his hands. "Hey, Junpei-kun, studying hard?" she teased.

"I-I was studying…" he replied after jumping a bit at her seemingly sudden appearance, "and I just came out here for a quick break." He was silent a moment under her 'stare' – which really wasn't a stare, Minako was just keeping eye contact was all. "Okay, so maybe that's not true." He was such an easy nut to crack. "I started out fine, but then I got lazy," he admitted with a sigh. He slumped on his stool, lowering his manga to his lap, "I don't know how everyone can study so much…"

Again Minako was laughing, "Don't worry, I don't study that hard either."

"Really?" Junpei asked, rather surprised, "I thought you studied all the time?"

"Kinda," she answered, "I study a little every day. Not a lot, but enough to get through class easy. I also study a little before we go to Tartrus."

"Wow…Yeah, that's still too much studying for me," Junpei sighed, standing up and closing his manga. "I guess I better try again if I don't want to totally bomb those exams…"

"Good luck," Minako called as Junpei started off for his room.

"Thanks! I'll need it!"

Heading up to the third floor, Minako didn't see Yukari at all. She must be more of a determined student than the other two. Minako brushed the thought away and instead headed back to her room. She set her things down and pulled out her homework, setting herself at the desk. After finishing her homework, she studied for about an hour and a half before deciding to go to sleep.

_(5/17) __SUNDAY_

Since it was Sunday and their day off, Minako decided to let herself sleep in. It was great. She had some funky dreams though, like about the team heading into Tartrus, only to find the students of Gekkoukan throwing some 70's party in there with a disco ball and lava lamps everywhere. Everyone had a freaking afro and bell bottom pants, and platform shoes. So the team went through and attacked the lot of them, exorcising the shadows out of them that had apparently possessed them. After that, they went and got a snow plow and plowed the students into a pile by the access point where they then started kicking students back to the first floor. However, when the three of them returned to the bottom floor after getting all the students out, they had all turned into zombies, and were attacking Mitsuru. Minako used Agi on the zombies, which apparently turned them into hamster zombies instead. So the rest of the dream was them kicking the zombie hamsters into a bag and then leaving it on the front step of the school as they left Tartrus.

What the fuck was Minako's imagination on…crack?

Sitting up in her bed, Minako shook her head, trying to rid the strange after images from her brain. Hopping out of bed, she turned on the TV to that home shopping channel to watch as she got dressed. Today they were offering an 'All-Purpose Katana' with two 'Cadesnza'. Well, Minako didn't know if that was something she needed, but since she had more than enough money, she decided she might as well give it a shot. After ordering the stuff, Minako headed off to the convience store, bought some snacks and instant ramen, and headed back. The snacks were to hold her over as she studied for the day, and the ramen was for dinner.

Well what else was there to do on the Sunday before exams? Minako was going to study!

Yay! . . . Not really…

_(5/18)__ MONDAY_

The first semester midterm exams began that day, lasting for six days…Reluctantly, Minako got up and headed off to school. She over heard the gossiping couple on her way in.

"Oh, no! The test is today! I didn't study at all yesterday, 'cause…I fell asleep!" The boy complained.

The girl seemed to laugh, "Come on… you don't need to like about it every time. By the way, did you hear? Our P.E. Teacher was hospitalized. I hear a signboard fell on top of him."

"Whoa…" the guy breathed, seeming to be creeped out by that. He then shook his head, "Wait, who cares about our P.E. teacher? C'mon! We've got five minuets! We can memorize ten vocab words!"

The test questions all looked familiar and … well quite simple honestly. Minako answered them with ease. It was like she couldn't stop writing.

_(5/19) __TUESDAY_

Minako was breezing through her test when she spotted a super familiar question that made her laugh.

"How would you translate 'pan' in English?"

_Pudding! _Minako joked before marking the answer for 'bread' on her paper.

_(5/20) __WEDNESDAY_

"How fast does the Earth rotate near the equator?"

Minako was expecting the number answer, but instead it said things such as, 'faster than sound' and 'slower than an airplane'.

The brunette had to think on it for only a moment before she recalled the teacher had said 'Faster than Sound' after she had answered with a numerical answer.

_(5/21) __THURSDAY_

"What's the name for water high in calcium and magnesium?"

Oh, so the teacher was trying to trick them by asking for the opposite of what she'd asked in class. Clever.

But not clever enough.

Minako marked 'Hard Water' and continued on with her test.

_(5/22) __FIRDAY_

"Where is the Kitora Tomb located?"

Minako froze, staring at the paper. Well crap, she didn't remember that one. Maybe it was in the lecture she'd slept through. It was time to think back on what she'd read…which was a lot harder than she thought.

After a long complicated and painful moment of though, Minako remembered and marked, "Nara."

_(5/23) __SATURDAY_

It was the last day of Midterms, Minako was more than ready to get this over with and get to Tartrus. On the way in she ran into Akihiko, who had stopped and waited for her to catch up when he'd spotted her. "Hey, Minako," he greeted, "Today is the last day of midterms, huh? If the doctor gives me the O.K., I'll be able to fight with you guys again…finally."

"That's great," Minako answered with a smile.

"By the way," he began again, "I have a favor to ask. You've been doing a good job leading the team in Tartrus…Would you mind continuing after I come back? That way I can concentrate on building my strength."

"Sure, leave it to me!" Minako answered confidently.

"I already talked to Mitsuru, and she was fine with it," he patted Minako on the shoulder, sending a wave of glares her way, "Good luck." He smiled a bit, looking more cheerful, "My lifestyle's finally gonna be back to normal starting next week. Oh, if you wanna grab food sometime, I'm bored after school on Mondays and Fridays since there's no club meetings. I'm usually near the club room building so…" He paused, turning to look at the school over his shoulder, "Hey, wasn't that that warning bell? Well, see you,"


	7. A Possible New Member?

_Oh my gawd - this chapter took forever to write! -headwall- Are you kidding me? I was totally lacking in inspiration and encouragement for some reason. D':_

_**Akihiko:**__ It's all right, what matters is you managed to finish it and post. _

___I know! And I havent even finished Birth By Sleep yet! Oh, and I was too lazy to do spell check, so there are some typos prolly, and missing apostrophes, but I dun care._

___**Akihiko: **Special thanks this time go to Deidara's Girl and Hime-san. The chapter is dedicated to... *looks at Lieal* Who's it dedicated to this time?_

___=A= I have no idea - I took so long I forgot. Um... my Imouto-chan...and my twinnie, and Melissa...and Ane! Ane too! And Yun! um... Let's dedicate this to EVERYONE since I forgot. :D_

_**Akihiko:**_ _That works. *shrugs*_

_Harmony-chan! ;o; Where are you? I was waiting for your awesome review! I love your reviews so much, they're like, the fuel that drives me through the next chapter - that's why I ran out of gas on this one! *shot* Ahem, anyway. :D;;_

_**Akihiko: **Please enjoy the next chapter._

* * *

The questions on the last day of the exams were just too easy. Minako finished quickly, and even had time to nap before classes of the day ended. She ended up having another weird dream. This time it was about a zombie apocalypse, and having to run around killing zombies to survive. It was like some video game or movie she'd seen advertised on the television or something.

By the time she awakened, class was over and the students were leaving. The teacher had already come by and collected their tests – even hers as she slept. Stretching in her seat, Minako covered her mouth for a bit of a yawn before putting away her own writing utensils and getting up. Since it was a Saturday, and the day exams ended, there were really only two options for her to spend her after school; The old couple at the book store, or the little girl at the shrine…if she was there again.

Leaving the school and midterms behind, Minako headed off to the monorail. Riding it to her usual stop, she decided to check out the playground at the Shrine. If the little girl wasn't there like she said she would be, then Minako would just go to the bookstore and visit Mitsuko and Bunkichi.

But sure enough, when Minako reached the top of those steps, the little brunette child was standing there by herself in front of the jungle gym. Smiling, Minako walked over, "Hello again," she called.

The little one smiled brightly, "You came!" she cheered. "I was waiting for you! Let's play!"

"Sure, let's play!" Minako agreed.

They spend a good while running around, pretending to shoot invisible monsters with invisible guns, using the jungle gym as their secret fortress to hide when they needed to reload. That went on for a good half hour before Maiko declared that game done, "What do you wanna play now? It's up to you, 'kay? Your choice!"

"How about we play on the Jungle gym?" Minako suggested.

Maiko jumped up and down, "Oh boy! I'm gonna climb way up high, okay?" The two of them started climbing, Minako hanging back a bit to make sure Maiko wouldn't fall. If she did Minako would be able to catch her just fine. They climbed around and swung around the thing like monkeys for a while. Maiko claimed she could see her house from the top of the jungle gym. Later as they got off Maiko was looking at the sky, which was already starting to change color to signal the beginning of the sunset.

"Ah, it looks like we should get home soon before it's dark," the brunette commented, noticing the sky changing colors.

"But, I don't wanna go home yet….I don't like it there," she said sadly, looking down. Then Maiko turned her attention to Minako again, "Can't we stay together a little longer?"

Minako smiled a bit, patting the little one on the head, "What's wrong with home?"

"…So, my mom and dad…they fight a lot," Maiko looked like she was about to cry, "They're going to get a divorce, huh? I tell them I want us to be happy, but they don't listen. They probably hate me, too." Sniffling, Maiko wiped up her tears with the back of her hand, "…Hey, we can play again later, right? I think we're friends now. I'm here on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays… I'll be waiting for you…" Before Minako could say much else, little Maiko scurried off.

Sighing as the girl disappeared from sight, Minako walked over to the bench and picked up her bag before heading back to the dorm. Once there, she met up with the others who were in the dining room section of the lounge, all talking with Akihiko, who looked rather cheerful after going in for one last check-up at the hospital.

Said boxer looked over as Minako approached, "Ah, you're back."

"Senpai, I hear you're fully healed!" Yukari cheered. Apparently she had gotten back only moments before Minako.

"Congrats, man!" Junpei added with his usual grin.

Akihiko shook his head a bit, ghost of a smile still on his face, "I need to catch up on my training. I've slacked off for a whole month."

Yukari looked at Akihiko a tad worried, "Shouldn't you take it easy, though? You don't want to re-injure your arm."

"I've already wasted precious time," Akihiko retorted, "Besides, we found another Persona-user."

"We did!" Junpei practically whispered, "Sweet!" That usual grin came to his face, "Is it a girl…?"

Yep, that was Junpei.

Surprisingly, Akihiko nodded his head, "Actually, it is. She's a junior who goes to our school. Fuuka Yamagishi… Do you guys know her?"

Yukari thought about it a moment seriously, "Yamagishi…?" She tapped a finger to her chin a moment before the light bulb turned on, "Oh, that girl in 2-E. She gets sick a lot from what I heard… I don't see her at school very often."

"She was at the same hospital as me," Akihiko explained, "That's how we found out about her." He sighed, brows furrowing, "But, maybe she's not cut out for battle. I had an Evoker made for her too…"

Junpei looked shocked, "What! We're giving up on her already!" He grinned again then – seriously, this guy's facial expressions changed faster than Yukari's moods, "I was gonna offer her some private lessons…"

Minako didn't get it at first, and just kinda stared at Junpei for a second, "What kind of lessons?"

Her classmate laughed, "I'll leave that to your imagination."

Speaking of Yukari's mood swings… she looked pretty annoyed right then. Soon after she sent a glare at Junpei, while Minako still felt kind of clueless.

So maybe she was a bit innocent…for now.

"Wh-Why're you lookin' at me like that?" he laughed a bit nervously, "C'mon…I'm a guy, whaddya expect!"

And then it seemed to hit her like a ton of bricks, "Oh! I get it!" She could feel all eyes turn to Minako then, who was just staring at Junpei, "You're such a perv."

All Junpei could do was laugh.

Minako huffed. "Well then, tonight we're going to Tartrus since Senpai can finally join us there!"

"Sound good to me," Yukari agreed, Junpei chirping in his own agreement a second later.

Yukari and Minako spent the time in between working on homework, while Junpei played a video game. At around eleven, everyone set out to head to the school, reaching it on foot by time the Dark Hour was just beginning.

Walking inside, Akihiko looked more than happy. "I finally get to go with you guys," he said, stretching his arms in preparation for the battles ahead, "But that doesn't mean you can slack off, all right?"

"We know, Senpai," Minako answered happily, smiling brightly.

The four of them then headed up to the twenty-fifth floor via weird elevator thingy, and then started off to the next floor. Tartrus that night seemed to be so much easier with Akihiko on their team then. He was strong, just as Minako has expected him to be. Watching him when they fought the shadows, Minako learned that his Persona used electricity and physical attacks. She kept Yukari on support, having her knock down any flying shadows with her arrows, and healing anyone who was wounded. Of course, it was easier said than done. The Shadows were getting stronger with each floor, so each battle was tougher than the last – especially since the battles were quite draining on their stamina. Barely – just barely – the group managed to make it to the thirty-sixth floor, and headed for the pair elevator thing. Once it was activated they piled in and rode it down to the ground floor.

"Now that's what I call a work out," Akihiko sighed. He looked pretty beat, but then again, with all the time off they'd taken from the exams, Minako had pushed them all pretty hard to catch up on lost time.

Minako patted her Senpai on the shoulder, "Well, tomorrow's Sunday. So if you're not feeling well in the morning, I suggest you rest. We wont go if anyone is ill."

Akihiko nodded, "All right, I got it. Now, let's all head back and get some rest."

_(5/24) __SUNDAY_

Minako had been sleeping in and having quite a nice dream when she heard a phone ring. She rolled over in her bed, trying to ignore the strange sound that interrupted her dream of running around with her friends from school, playing games, and that person who's face she couldn't see, but stuck close to the whole time, hanging off his arm. It was only seconds later that she realized that the intruding noise was in fact her cell phone. Jerking awake from her dream, Minako sat up and looked around before scrambling to grab her phone.

"Hello?" she answered, stifling a yawn.

"Hello, it's me, Rio," the female voice on the other end answered, "Are you busy right now?"

Minako stretched a bit, "Not really," she groaned, "Just waking up is all. What's up?"

She could hear Rio laugh a bit on the other end, "Do you want to go somewhere today?"

The brunette grinned brightly, "Sure! I'd love to go!" she answered energetically.

"Great!" Rio said, sounding as excited as Minako did, "I'll see you later. Let's meet up at the Iwatodai Strip Mall.

Hopping out of bed when the call ended, Minako walked to her sink and washed her face, brushed her teeth, and then brushed and pulled up her hair. Skipping back to her dresser in the corner of the room, Minako pulled out some clothes and got changed before heading out to go meet up with Rio.

Together the two of them headed up to Hagakure Ramen. Rio was laughing a bit when Minako threw her a look asking if this was really where she'd wanted to go. "I saw ramen on TV and got this sudden urge to have some," she explained with a shrug of her shoulders. "I've never come here alone before, so I was a little hesitant. I come here sometimes with a guy friend... Friend?" she thought about it a moment and then shook her head, "Anyway, there's always someone else." She gave Minako an apologetic look, "I couldn't get a hold of him today… sorry to call you up in your day off like this.

Minako could only smile, "I'm glad you asked me," she replied.

"Do you have a thing for ramen too?" she asked, smiling as well, "It's no fun eating here alone, so thanks for coming with me." The two of them chatted about tennis until their ramen arrived, and then proceeded to chow down. Later, after they paid for their meals, the two decided to head down stairs to the bookstore.

As they were leaving Hagakure, Minako saw a familiar figure entering at the same time, and turned, looking back to see if it really was that stranger in the burgundy coat. For a moment, she caught his eye, he too glancing back over his shoulder to see if it was her he had passed. Minako smiled, and the stranger only shook his head, grumbling something before heading to the counter where he sat.

"Someone you know?" Rio asked when she noticed Minako looking back at the man they'd passed on their way out.

"Something like that," she answered.

The two of them spent some time downstairs at the bookstore, looking over some books on tennis and other things that interested them. They chatted and laughed with Bunkichi and Mitsuko, sharing stories as well as introductions. Before they knew it, it was dark out, and the two girls had to head home before it got any darker.

Back at the dorm, Akihiko was the one to greet Minako. "I took your advice and slept in for once," Akihiko told her after welcoming her back, "I did my usual training when I woke up, of course, but I feel energized and ready for Tartrus."

Minako smiled, "Great! I'll go check with Yukari-chan and Junpei-kun to see if they're up for going tonight."

"No need, I've already talked to them," Akihiko confirmed, "The two of them are will to go tonight so long as you're up to it."

That smile seemed to only grow. "Awesome! We'll go tonight for sure!"

So it was then, hours later, that the five of them headed out to the school grounds, entered Tartrus when the Dark Hour struck, and went in for the guardian fight. With Akihiko on their team, the fight was a lot easier. However, there were still a lot of difficulties. Every time the Change Relic used Garu, it knocked Junpei down. Minako told Yukari to cover him, since she was strong against wind attacks. "Akihiko you go in for an attack, I'll cover you." Pulling out her Evoker, Minako summoned one of her new Persona; Forneus, and had him use Bufu on the Change Relic to distract it.

Akihiko closed in from behind and dealt the best damage he could to it, but even with his new equipment he could only do so much. Junpei backed them up from a distance and summoned Hermes to use Cleave. It must have been a lucky shot, because the thing fell over, the doors on it's front falling open to reveal the inside.

"I've been waiting for this!" Akihiko shouted, leading the charge for the All-Out Attack.

The group of them rushing it did quite a bit of damage, but they had to test their luck a few more times to get the chance at two more All-Out Attacks before they had it on it's last leg. "Look out!" Minako shouted, jumping in front of Junpei – who wasn't fairing too well – and took the hit from the Garu spell. "Yukari!"

"Got it!" Yukari answered, running over to heal Junpei.

"Senpai!"

As she called it, Akihiko called Polydeuces. The boxer ran in, charging with his persona, letting out a battle cry. Akihiko's fist connected to the front of the change relic just in time with the Sonic Punch Polydeuces dealt, and the Shadow burst into a cloud of black smoke that quickly dissipated. Shaking his hand, he looked back at the three second-years. "Junpei, you all right?" he called, since the guy was still on the ground.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Junpei answered, fixing his hat and catching his breath before standing.

"Yukari, why don't you take Junpei down to the bottom floor and you two start heading back?" Minako suggested.

Yukari looked at Minako like she had suggested something absurd, "But what about you and Senpai?"

Minako smiled, patting her on the shoulder. "Don't worry, we're just going to check for suitcases like on the other floors and then head back. We wont go to the next floor without you guys."

The other brunette nodded her head and helped Junpei walk without collapsing from his exhaustion. Junpei was reluctant to go at first, but with Minako's reassurance that they'd be right behind them, he left with Yukari to head back to the bottom floor.

Keeping her word, Minako and Akihiko only looked to see if there were items on that floor. Two suitcases sat waiting for them with prizes inside, which Minako put away in her bag. "You were incredible during that battle, Senpai," Minako complimented.

"You called the shots pretty well," Akihiko replied, "You're a good leader. I'm glad Mitsuru and I chose you." He ruffled her hair a bit, laughing when she complained about it and swatted his hand away.

Down on the ground floor, Mitsuru was the only one there to greet the two when they returned. As they headed home, Minako lingered towards the back, watching Mitsuru and Akihiko talk about the guardian battle they had done that night. She could easily hear what they were saying if she were paying attention, but instead she was watching their body language. She'd been suspecting that the two were close since they'd been working in S.E.E.S. together for so long, but now she was looking for further proof of that. Akihiko stood pretty close to her, normally if anyone walked with her on their way back from Tartrus, they stood on the other side of her motorcycle as she walked it back to the dorm.

They were indeed close – but _how_ close is what made Minako most curious.

_(5/25) __MONDAY_

As Minako dressed for school that morning, listening to the birds chip and sing through her sun-light window, she recalled that the exam results from midterms would be posted that day. Her stomach did a flip, signaling the start of her nervous wait to see her score. She had been pretty confident when filling out the test pages, so maybe it wouldn't be anything too bad.

On her way through the school gates a rough twenty minuets later, Minako ran into Yukari, who seemed reluctant to be there. Well, not so much as reluctant as nervous. Perhaps she was worried about how she'd scored on the tests as well. Noticing Minako, she turned her back to the front steps of the school and the darker brunette over. "Mornin'," she called, "You're punctual as always, Minako. Junpei looked like the world is about to end."

Minako raised a brow to that, finding it odd. "Really?" Maybe he hadn't been kidding when he said he was going to bomb those midterm exams. He could have just asked for some help studying, and she'd would have been more than happy to tutor him a bit in the safety of the first-floor lounge.

"Yeah, really," Yukari laughed a bit, "Exam scores will be posted today, so…" She rolled her eyes, as if the rest of her sentence could be filled in….which it actually could, "That explains it. He said he's gonna beg for a higher score…Like that's gonna work."

The brunette laughed a bit, covering her mouth, "Well you cant blame him for trying, right? He just needs to study more next time."

"Right?" Yukari agreed, "Oh, by the way… You remember how Akihiko-senpai was talking about that girl Fuuka…? I hear she's kinda weak… but that's just a rumor," she looked thoughtful as the two turned to walk up the front steps to get to the shoe lockers just past the doors, "I wonder what she's really like. Either way, having another Persona-user cant be a bad thing!"

"Yeah!" Minako agreed, "I'm sure there's something she'll be able to do if she chooses to join us later."

Pausing their conversations, the girls separated to go to their shoe lockers and switch their shoes for the classroom slippers. They met up again at the stairs to the second floor, and chatted idly on their way up to the classroom. Mostly they spoke about what they'd put for certain answers on the test.

Minako hardly concentrated on the morning lesson that day. She managed to take a few notes on the review they were doing from the midterms exams they'd taken for that class, but the brunette's mind was still wondering what score she'd gotten.

The next thing she knew, it was lunch, and one of the students from their class came running back to the door to announce to everyone; "Hey, the results are posted!" The whole class seemed to stir then, getting up to hurry to the first floor to see what they'd gotten, and Minako was no exception. In the hallway, Minako was having a tough time trying to see the board from where she stood. Managing to make her way to the front, she looked at the list for her class, reading the names starting from the bottom. Sadly, Junpei had scored pretty low, she'd have to try and cheer him up later about that. Low and behold, to her surprise, Minako discovered that her name was at the top of her class. The rest of her class seemed to look at her with respect, patting her on the shoulder and congratulating her.

Along with the entire class, Minako headed back to the classroom before lunch ended, of course, she stopped to get a tea first so she had something to drink before then. The afternoon class was with Ms. Toriumi, who spent the first five minuets trying to get the class to shut up about the exam results. "All right class, settle down. You can show your scores to one another later. Let's go over the test now." Pulling out a copy of the test from her bag, she stood at the podium. "The first part was the kanji dictation section," She gave the students all a look, "How could any of you have got this part wrong? It was a gimme! I swear, you make me embarrassed to be your teacher!" Shaking her head, she turned to the next page. "The next portion was the short essay, reacting to a passage about bullying in schools. This one was a gimme. As long as you wrote something down, I gave you credit for it…You could have complained about the bullying at Gekkoukan, right?" She paused a moment, frowning at what she'd just said, "…I'm kidding, of course. There's no bullying here… None whatsoever. I'm not getting into that."

Since Minako had scored top in the class, she didn't think it would matter if she took a nap through this review on the tests. Folding her arms on her desk, Minako closed her eyes and let herself fall asleep, the sound of Ms. Toriumi's voice slowly drifting away as she slipped into a dream. After school, when she woke up, Minako stretched, yawning – just as she did every time she took a nap during class. She gathered her things and put them away in her bag before leaving the classroom. Minako planned to head over to the field for come Tennis practice, but on the way, she spotted Akihiko, standing there and looking rather bored. Needless to say she forgot about her plans to head to practice. "Hey, Senpai," she called, waving as she walked down the last of the stairs by him.

"Oh, it's you, Minako," Akihiko replied after he spotted her approaching him. "Are you going home?"

The brunette nodded energetically, "Yup, want to walk home with me?" she asked, considering they stayed at the same dorm.

Akihiko smiled, happy he wouldn't have to be so bored now. "…Okay, then do you mind if we stop somewhere on the way? There's something I'm in the mood for…"

Minako had opened her mouth to agree when she felt the sudden sting of a million burning glares wishing her ultimate demise and took a glance around instead. Apparently Akihiko's fangirls didn't like the thought of Minako hanging out with what was 'theirs'. Of course, by then Minako was used to their cruel looks and simply ignored them. "All right, sure," she answered with a smile, giving off that 'don't fuck with me' aura for the fan girls.

If only they knew what she did during the Dark Hour, let's see them glare at her after _that_.

Akihiko seemed to look around for a moment after seeing Minako's gaze had wandered about. Nope, not like he'd ever sence the malice waves of rabid fangirls shooting death wishes at Minako. "…All right, let's go," he said finally, turning to lead that way back to the foot lockers.

In the end, the two of them ended up going to Hagakure. Minako couldn't help but wonder just how many times she'd end up eating here before she got sick of it. Then again, their ramen was delicious. The two took a seat at the counter together, tucking themselves away at the end by where the television was set up. "You're okay with the special, right?" Not even seconds after Minako nodded her head in agreement, the boxer was turning to the man on the other side of the bar from them, "Two extra-large specials, please."

The size of the order had flown right over Minako's head. She was hungry from not having lunch that day, so she was just about ready to eat anything. "Can I order some appetizers, too?" she asked, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the bar.

Akihiko smiled, laughing a bit, "Yeah. Eat as much as you'd like."

The cheerful aura that seemed to roll off Akihiko made Minako all the more happy. "Really? Thanks!" she cheered with a smile before listing off a few appetizers at random from the menu. It only took a little while for them to arrive, and she offered half of everything to Akihiko. One – which was something she happened to really love – was breaded mushrooms. It had been so long since she'd had them she almost ate them all up herself.

"Physical strength is everything," Akihiko suddenly began, catching Minako's attention in the middle of a mushroom. "Your skills are truly remarkable…But they wont be of any use of you get exhausted easily."

Minako smiled after swallowing the food in her mouth, "Right!" Just then their extra-large ramen were set down in front of them in exchange for their empty appetizer plates. Minako stared at the thing like a monstrous Shadow that had picked her up and was about to devour her. The extra-large bowls were _huge!_ It looked more like a super-mega-ultra-get-yourself-obese bowl to her.

Of course, she was going to eat it anyway. Minako was still hungry, and that ramen was smelling awfully good. She made sure to eat everything, after all, Akihiko was treating her, and she wouldn't want to waste his money. About three-fourths of the way through, she felt the edge of her hunger finally fall off, and by time the bowl was empty, she was sure she wouldn't be eating another bite for the rest of the night.

Akihiko looked over with an impressed smile on his face, "Amazing, you completely polished that off."

The brunette laughed, though her stomached suddenly groaned, complaining that the maximum capacity of her stomach had been reached. She was pretty sure if she ate another bite, she'd pop like a balloon.

"Hey, are you up for going to another restaurant?" Akihiko asked.

Minako had to resist the urge to ask him if he was trying to get her fat. So instead she just shook her head, a hand on her stomach, and sighed, "I can't eat another bite…" She may have had a big appetite from time to time, but there was only so much food she could put in her stomach without getting sick.

Akihiko looked only slightly disappointed, "You're giving up already?" He laughed a bit then, shaking his head as his smile came back, "Well, it wouldn't be good for you to get a stomachache. Let's not do this today, then." The 'chef' came back, and Akihiko pulled out his wallet, paying for their food. "You must have a really small stomach," Akihiko mused once the food was paid for and the man left, "If you don't eat right, you'll never grow stronger."

The brunette got the feeling that Akihiko was treating her like a child. She was only a year younger than him, for crying out loud! Minako huffed, finding it a bit unfair. It wasn't that she wouldn't get any stronger like that, she just didn't need to burn a million calories a day like a certain captain of the boxing team.

"Why are you glaring at me like that?" Akihiko asked, laughing a bit, "I'm not Junpei. I wont go easy on you just because you're a girl." He reached a hand over and ruffled her hair until she batted his hand away. "Mitsuru was the one who recommended you to be our leader, but I thought you'd be best in that position, too…So do your best and do a good job, okay? Our lives are on the line too, after all." He paused a moment, waiting for the girl to finish fixing her hair before continuing, "And, of course, we'll do our best to back you up as well. You're not the only one who's going to be trying hard out there."

Minako started to understand then. It wasn't that he was treating her as a child because she was younger, it was because he was worried about her. She was still inexperienced at being a leader, and he wanted to make sure she would do well, and was trying to give her encouragement to do her best. Minako smiled, "Okay, thanks, Senpai."

"Well," Akihiko sighed, hopping off his stool, he waited for Minako to do the same, "Since we're done eating, I guess we should go back. Let's get a quick jog in to help settle our stomachs."

The brunette looked like he had just suggested they cut off her arm, "Whaaaaaaaat?"

"Come on," Akihiko insisted, practically having to drag her out of Hagakure. "Just think of it like Tennis Practice."

"But I don't want to jog – that's why I came with you for food rather than go to Tennis," Minako complained. But As soon as Akihiko started pushing her along from behind, she didn't have much choice. It was jog, or fall flat on her face…and Minako didn't want to go to school the next day sporting a Band-Aid on her forehead or nose. Akihiko kept up with her no problem, cheering her on the whole way back.

When they returned to the dorm, Akihiko looked around before closing the door behind Minako. "Looks like Mitsuru isnt here," he mused, "Guess we're not going to Tartrus tonight."

"That's fine…" Minako sighed, trudging to a stop by the couches in the lounge. "I'm gonna go take a shower and then do my homework, then." With a slight groan, she pushed off from the couch and headed for the stairs.

_(5/26) __TUESDAY_

The next morning, after a good long night's rest with the absence of Tartrus, Minako was walking through the gates of the school feeling quite refreshed when she ran into Junpei. The poor guy looked like a kicked puppy he was so down in the dumps.

"S'uuup, dude?" he called half-heartedly. "Hey, how'd you do on the exams…?"

Minako was so tempted to tell him that she'd bombed them to make him feel better, but since the results were posted in the hallway, there was no way he wouldn't find out that she lied. "Better than I though…" she answered hesitantly.

"Seriously…?" He sighed, "Man, I'm a laughingstock…After the results were posted I heard these two cute girls talking…" The two of them turned away from the school gates and started on their way to the front doors together. "They were sayin' I have a one-track mind…" He seemed to think about it a moment, but then a grin came to his face and he lifted his head a bit. It wasn't as energetic a grin as he normally wore, but he was trying. "Well, I won't let it get to me! We might be getting another girl on our team anyways!"

The brunette laughed. He did seem to have a one-track mind, but hey, it kept him from getting too depressed over anything.

Lunchtime rolled around faster than ever, and Minako was wandering around, munching on her bread. As she was headed back to her classroom, she ran in to none other than her ball-capped buddy. "…Oh, it's you," he mumbled when he stopped himself from plowing right into her. "Er… Well…" He scratched at the back of his neck, looking away a bit.

Minako swallowed the food in her mouth, "What's wrong?" she asked.

"So, er…If you're free, let's go get some ramen after school," he suggested, "Oh me this time!"

Ramen, again? Well…

Before she could say anything, Junpei walked off, soon replaced with Bebe running up to her excitedly. "Oh, zere you are! I 'ave been looking for you!" the blonde boy called cheerfully, "Minako-samma, you are coming to ze Fashion Club, right?"

"I was thinking about it…" she answered.

"Yatta!" the French boy cheered, "Now, I wont be ze only one! I'll be waiting outside your classroom!"

Stopping the boy before he walked off, Minako caught him, "Ah, wait, Bebe?" He turned back to look at her, that cheerful excited gleam in his eyes. It made her feel bad for what she was about to do. Minako bowed, "I'm sorry, but I don't really think I'll be able to come today."

Bebe looked almost heartbroken when Minako raised her head once again. "Why not?" he asked.

"My friend Junpei scored really bad on the midterm exams. This morning and just now he seemed really down in the dumps, so I want to make sure he's okay…" Minako explained, "Again, I'm really sorry. I'll come next time, I promise."

The blonde male merely smiled and shook his head, "It iz all right, Minako-samma. Your friend needs you, no?"

Minako smiled a bit, "Thanks Bebe…"

The warning bell for the end of lunch break sounded, so the two of them parted ways, and Minako headed back to her classroom.

The afternoon class passed by quickly, too, thank goodness. Minako was one of the first up out of her seat and hopped over to catch Junpei with a bright smile. "Hey, want to go get that ramen?" she asked.

"You don't have anything else planned?" Junpei asked.

Minako shook her head, "I told Bebe I wouldn't be coming, so it' sokay.

Junpei smiled, "All right, let's go," he said, leading the way from the school campus.

Again Minako found herself at Hagakure, though, it wasn't like she hated the place yet, so it was fine. The two of them had come in and sat down on the stools in the corner, their backs to the television. "You okay with the special? If you want, they can put an extra egg on top. C'mon, eat up!"

"Really?" Minako asked, as if making sure she was hearing him right. That bright smile of hers danced on her face, "Wow, thanks!" A bit of a laugh and she turned to face him a bit more, leaning against her hand on the counter, "Did something good happen?" she asked, maybe it was like the time he won on the scratch lotto.

Junpei looked a bit surprised, as if he had forgotten about the reason he treated her last time. "Huh? Uh, not exactly, but…" His cheeks turned a dusty hue of pink, displaying his embarrassment.

The ramen arrived, and the two of them began eating. Minako had asked for extra egg at the last second, and she was not regretting it. The ramen was just as good as it was every time, if not better. They were about halfway done with their bowls when Junpei stopped eating, which made Minako stop out of curiosity.

"…You look like you're in high spirits, like always," he mused, seeming quite relieved at the fact.

Minako was quietly confused for several heartbeats, "What do you mean?" she asked. Was he talking about the exams or something?

"Uh, well…" Junpei hesitated, sighing as if regretting brining such a comment up. "Wait, so you haven't heard?" he asked, "Guess I shouldn't have brought it up…"

The brunette huffed, fixing her eyes on her friend, "What are you talking about?"

"…Okay, okay, I'll tell you," Junpei replied. Again he seemed to be hesitating, "Um… Don't get mad at me, okay?" He looked from his ramen bowl to meet her gaze, "…Supposedly, there are these photos of you going around. They aren't weird pictures or anything! They're of you in your gym clothes… There are other girls in them, too, but you're right up in the center, so…I think whoever took the pictures was aiming specifically at you."

There was a long moment of shocked silence from Minako. Someone was taking secret pictures of her? Like… a peeping tom? "How did you find out about it?" she asked.

"One of the guys in a different class found it," Junpei explained, "He came over to me and was like, 'Isn't this the girl in your dorm?'" Junpei sighed and shook his head, "I took that copy of it away from him, but the original's still out there…" Junpei looked troubled by the fact, his brows furrowed in serious thought over this… And then a second later he was grinning again, as if trying to make light of the subject so Minako wouldn't worry so much about it. "Still, you must really be popular. This kind of thing isnt normal. I wonder if I'll be in danger of having a picture of me taken with you. I'd have to find out who it was and kick his ass if that happened," he laughed. He paused a moment after that laugh, the grin fading to a less joking look, but nothing quite too serious. "But seriously…Be careful, all right?"

Minako smiled a bit, feeling the concern Junpei had for her because of a thing like this happening, "I'll be careful," she said.

"Now," Junpei sighed, turning back to face front, "how to go about retrieving that picture…" He rubbed his scruffy chin a moment in thought before looking at Minako once more, "…Well, I'll think about it. Don't let it bother you too much. But man, photos…?" he faced front again, staring at the steam rising from the boiling broth for the ramen in the kitchen beyond the bar they sat at. "What in the world would anyone use that fo- -" he stopped, as if the light bulb turned on in his head, "Oh…"

"What?" Minako asked, obviously too innocent to think of it right away.

Not wanting her to figure it out, Junpei shook his head, "No, never mind," he laughed with a nervous look on his face. "Hurry up and eat your ramen before the noodles stretch," he said, distracting her with food.

It was a successful attempt at that. "Oh, right!" Minako turned back to her bowl and began eating again. After they finished their food, Minako and Junpei chatted a bit about other things as they waited to pay for their food, and then headed back to the dorm together.

When the two of them returned to the dorm, Minako saw Mitsuru sitting in her armchair in the lounge. Walking over, she waited until Mitsuru looked up from her reading before speaking. "Mitsuru-senpai, do you know where I can find a 'triangular sword'?" she asked.

"Hm? You're looking for a triangular sword?" she asked, "What are you talking about? Is this some sort of riddle?"

"So you don't know what it is either?" Minako asked a bit downhearted.

Looking away, Mitsuru was thinking then, wanting to see if she could figure it out, "Triangular sword… A triangle… Oh, do you mean a fencing epee?" She looked over at Minako again, "It's not exactly a triangular sword, but the blade's cross-section does resemble a triangle. I have a few in my room, I'll fetch one for you." Setting her book aside, Mitsuru stood and walked off towards the stairs to retrieve it. As she was gone, Minako looked at what she was reading, but… the title made the book seem too difficult to just skim though. Not that it mattered, Mitsuru was back before Minako knew it, offering her the piece of equipment, "Here you are. Do you plan on taking up fencing? If so, I can give you some lessons once I have some spare time."

"Okay," Minako answered with a smile, "Well either way, can we all go to Tartrus tonight?"

"Certainly, but I should inform you that Junpei has stepped out for the evening," Mitsuru informed, "He said he had something to do that was apparently rather important."

"Aww…" Minako grumbled, "Well then I guess we'll just go tomorrow… so long as everyone's here." She'd wait to give Theo the 'triangular sword' until then…

_(5/27) __WEDNESDAY_

The school day flew by quickly, Minako being her usual studious self, took detailed notes crammed with as much information that was useful that she could muster. When the bell rang, Minako sighed and sat back, staring up at the ceiling for a moment. Putting her things away when she got her mind back, the brunette closed up her bag and headed out of the classroom. The blonde Frenchman was standing on the other side of the hall across from her classroom door. He smiled when he saw her and waved before trotting over to her.

"Minako-samma! I 'ave been waiting for you!" Bebe cheered, "Let us go to ze Home Economics Room!"

With a smile, Minako agreed with a nod, "Sure, let's go, Bebe-kun!"

Linking his arm with hers, he escorted her to the stairs and they headed down to the Home Economics Room together. "Sewing eez so much fun!"

Walking inside, it looked the same as the last time she had been there. The two set their bags down on another table and walked over to the spot where Bebe had been sewing when they'd first met at school. "Minako-sama, why dony you try making something kantan, simple?" he suggested, opening a beginners book on crafts one could do in the room. "'Ow about zis? I, ze master, shall teach you," he said, pointing to a how-to guide for making a cute Japanese-style phone strap.

Looking at the page, it seemed fairly simple, "Sure, I'll try," Minako agreed.

Bebe helped her cut out the material for what they were making. Step by step, he guided her through the how-to list, pointing out small mistakes and helping her fix them. He was a very good teacher. Finally it was time to sew the pieces together. The blonde showed Minako how to use the sewing machine once again and assisted her in getting her needed pieces together. "Line up zis side and zat side, zen sew, sew, sew!" he sang as the sewing machine hummed to life. "Sew on ze cord…" he began, helping her align that and slowly sewed it on, "et voila! Ze color, it is suteki, beautiful! Good job, appare Minako-sama!"

"It's all thanks to your help, Bebe-kun!" Minako cheered happily.

"Ah, no, Minako-samma did all ze work 'erself beautifully!" Bebe protested.

"But it's thanks to your assistance and explanations that I was able to avoid messing up," the brunette insisted.

The blonde laughed, finally just giving in lest they be there all day. "Today, our work eez over – owari!" A bright smile came to his face then, "Let's go to ze Sweet Shop, Minako-sama… Zis is my first time going, so will you teach me?"

Minako didn't know what there was to teach about going to a Sweet Shop, but she might as well go along with it rather than dampen Bebe's good mood. "Sure," she answered with a bright smile.

"Ohhh! You are ze best!" Bebe cheered, "Thank you, arigatou!" He seemed to jump up and down for a second he was so excited. "Well zen, shall we go? We'll go togezer, my tomodachi! My friend!"

The two of them grabbed up their bags and headed out of the Home Economics room, and then out of the school. The only thing that took long was waiting for the monorail to arrive at the station. They rode it together while chatting about various things, and hurried off when it came to their stop.

Hurrying across the street, the two went upstairs to the Sweet Shop. Heading inside they were greeted by the sugary scents of all the delectable treats waiting for them to choose from. The two of them picked out a treat, to which Minako paid for after convincing Bebe that it was okay. Sitting at a table in the corner, the two of them ate their snacks happily, even sharing a bit of their with the other.

After they were finished with their snacks, the two of them left the Sweet Shop. Bebe was so happy he was glowing, "Oishii! Zat dessert was delicious! I am so 'appy, ureshii! I love ze culture of Nihon! Japan eez sugoi, amazing!"

"It sure is!" Minako agreed.

"Hai! Hai! Yes! Yes!" Bebe cheered, "Japan's culture eez number one, ichiban! I wish I was born 'ere. I want to learn everything about Nihon and become Japanese! Zank you for bringing me 'ere, Minako-sama. Arigatou! I 'ave an aunt who lives back 'ome. She 'as been 'elping me…I must tell 'er zat I 'ave made a great friend! Tomodachi!" The two of them headed down to the ground floor when Bebe checked his watch to see how much time they had left. "Ohh, look at ze time! I would like to ask you more about Nihon…I'll talk to you later! Mata ne!" Waving farewell, Bebe trotted off in a different direction to head home.

Since her friend was leaving, Minako decided she should just head on back to her dorm as well. Seconds after Mitsuru greeted her back, she was asking about going to Tartrus. "Please, please, pleeeaaase tell me that everyone's free tonight," she begged, "We need to get more training in." She was just _waiting_ for that little boy to arrive again and warn her about another 'ordeal' that would happen. Minako wanted to make sure everyone was prepared for that.

"Don't worry, Minako, everyone's free tonight. We can go to Tartrus," Mitsuru assured. She waited for Minako to finish her little victory dance of happiness. "I'll let everyone know, and we'll meet at the school around Midnight, don't be late."

"I wont!" Minako cheered, trotting off to go get her homework done before the Dark Hour.

When they entered Tartrus that night, Minako headed to the Velvet Room first. Theo greeted her the same as always; a light smile and a polite bow. "Here, Theo, I brought you something," Minako sang as she presented him with the triangular sword.

Theo stepped forward to take a look at it, "This must be a fencing epee," he mused as he took it from her carefully. "A triangular sword… Yes, this does meet the requirements that I had set. The epee was once used as the last sword in fencing matches. Fencers would wear white uniforms so that the blood from struck blows would be more visible." He turned the sword over, examining it thoroughly as he spoke, "Similarly, my clothing is blue in order to make me more relaxing to look at."

Minako jumped at bit, as if she'd been caught staring at him. Her cheeks burned a light pink, "R-Really?"

The bellboy laughed, "…I'm joking."

Her cheeks colored even more then out of embarrassment, "O-oh…"

"Please, take this as your reward," Theo offered, handing her a bulletproof vest. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Minako shook her head, "Nope, just stopped by to say 'Hi' and deliver that," she answered with a smile.

Theo's face was then graced with a kind smile, "Well then…" Placing a hand at the small of her back, he turned her around and escorted her to the door. "As always, I look forward to your next visit."

Once more, Minako was at the bottom of Tartrus. Walking towards the other three who waiting by the elevator thing, Minako tossed the bulletproof vest to Junpei, "Here, Junpei-kun, I got you a present."

The ball-capped student caught what she tossed to him and looked at it rather surprised. "Whoa, thanks Minako-tan," he whistled, "I'll make good use of it."

"All right, let's start training, guys!"

Up they went to floor thirty-six, where the pervious guardian had fallen to them. They ran to the stairs and made their way up. The training began. Unfortunately, Mitsuru said there werent many enemies on that floor, or on the next two floors either for that matter. Minako was a bit disappointed, but she tried her best to keep the running and fighting to a moderate level so they wouldn't tire out to easily. There were many of the same Shadows they saw all the while; Crying Tables, the floating spell books, some of those annoying birds. The new addition looked like the definition of the Lover's Arcana. It was a headless couple, dancing, with a floating heart with a mask on it above their bare necks. Needless to say they were most annoying with all their 'Charm' attacks and strikes.

Three floors later, the three of them made it to a dead end. Yet again the stairs to the next floor were blocked off by a barrier in the way. Minako sighed just before Mitsuru pointed out the obvious and said they should head back for the night since it was blocked off. Exactly like last time, Minako headed over to where there was a single suitcase, just laying there, waiting for them. She opened it up, and inside was another document.

"Weird… Kirijo's Ergo Research branch plans to build a lab on this island. I wonder what for…"

Well, that certainly didn't make much sense. Hopefully over time it would lead to other fragmented information that would explain things in the end. Rolling up the document and sticking it in her bag, safe and secure, Minako joined the others in returning to the main floor. After one more quick trip to the Velvet Room to deliver the requested document to Theo, she and her friends headed back home.

_(5/28) __THURSDAY_

"S'up, dude!" Junpei called, jogging over to Minako just as she passed through the gates to the school. He came to a slowed stop next to her, and the two of them headed towards the doors of the school together. "So, whaddya think…?"

Minako was drawing a blank, "What's the matter?" she asked, giving him one heck of a confused look.

"About Fuuka Yamagishi, of course," Junpei insisted as if he hadnt started in the middle of a conversation.

Right, because Minako was totally a mind reader.

"I havent given up hope that she'll join our team," Junpei was grinning and squirming, talking about another girl on the team. He was really trying to be a pimp, wasn't he? "Dude, her face looks so familiar. She does look kinda weak, but it only makes me wanna protect her, ya know?"

Junpei went on and on about his hopes that Fuuka Yamagishi would join their team as they changed their shoes inside and headed up to the classroom. Minako almost couldn't get him to shut up and take his seat when the bell rang for classes to get ready to start.

There was a new face today. A nerdy looking man with large black glasses on his face. He had short messy hair, almost as if he'd just rolled out of bed and come here to teach. There was stubble on his chin and a pencil tucked behind his ear. He wore a yellow shirt under a white lab coat – some students were muttering about him being the school's 'weird-ass' nurse. "I'm Edogawa," he introduced as she scratched the back of his neck, "in charge of integrative learning." He gave a slight….odd… chuckle, "In this class, I'll ease all your worries. It's psychotherapy through magic! All right, everyone, be very, very quiet. No talking… Silence!" he hissed at a few students whispering in the back of the room. The whole classroom fell silent, staring at him like the psycho he seemed to be. "Were you surprised to hear my bring up magic?"

Why, yes, in fact, Minako was.

"It's a recent proposal, so it's not well-known yet…" Mr. Edogawa began, "Here it is: Those who believe will be saved. Study hard, and I can beat your weak minds into shape!" Another strange chuckle left him, "Now then! Let's get on with our first lecture, on the basics of magic. Who can use magic, and who cannot? That'll be our starting point. Some of you might think that magic lets you do absolutely anything…"

Like…pulling a rabbit out of a hat – TAH-DAH!

"Pulling pranks on people, hurting your enemies…" he went on.

Oh… well Minako was close.

"If that's what you think, then you'll never learn magic. It's true of both eastern and western sorcery…" the nerdy-man explained, "Those with wicked hearts will either be powerless, or be driven to ruin. There's one more thing that can't be forgotten when learning magic. That is… a 'master.' You should aspire to become as good as your predecessors, especially if you're studying difficult magic. If you don't have a master, learning the black arts will be impossible."

All right, so then just give Minako a moment to get her wand, owl, and robes, and it's off to Hogwarts we go!

"When you begin your training, you'll have to live in two worlds at once: the real world, and the dark realm," he continued on, "If you cant distinguish between the two, you're headed for certain disaster. That's why the presence of a master is of the utmost importance! With that in mind, I'll move on to meditation, a standard practice in magical training. I've got some handouts for you…"

His lecture seemed to go on, and on, and on. Was there no end to this? Minako didn't really think it was necessary to have a class on magic. Oh well, she'd pay attention when it sounded interesting then. Folding her arms on her desk, she went to sleep, refusing to sit through the rest of the lecture.

After Edogawa's class was over, the rest of the day passed quickly, though she did wonder why she woke up with a piece of paper on her head at lunch that day. Since it was Thrusday, Minako decided that she'd go over to do the library committee and spend time with Saori-san. Leaving the classroom, she caught the girl passing through the hallway on her way to the stairs.

"Why, Minako-chan!" she smiled sweetly. "Have you heard the rumor?" she asked.

"Rumor?" Minako echoed.

Saori nodded, "Sometimes, celebrities show up at the Paulownia Mall at night. The girls in class were talking all about it. I don't know the details, because I just happened to overhear…"

"Wow, that's cool!" Minako commented.

Saori laughed, "Yeah. Well, today's Thursday… There's a committee meeting today, can you come? If you're busy I can go alone.

"That's why I'm here," Minako answered, "I figured I should help out, I cant leave you to handle _everything_," she insisted.

Again that sweet smile graced Saori's pretty face. "Really? I'm glad. You seem to be having fun today."

The two of them headed to the Gekkoukan High library. Lots of students were making use of the library and all it had to offer that day, so Minako and Saori had a lot of work to do that day. They were both working on checking out books at the front counter when things started to ease up a bit. Saori was helping one student in particular check out a book, "All right, may I please see your student ID?"

"I…I don't have it," the boy admitted, "I lost it."

"…Huh? You lost it?" Saori looked rather concerned. "Um… If you don't have your ID we cant check any books our for you. Losing your ID's pretty serious. You should go to the faculty room before you do anything else."

Just then a girl with her hair pulled up into two buns came running up to the counter, "S-Saori-san!" she called. Minako recognized her as the girl who had borrowed Saori's notes the other day.

"…Oh, Higashida-san. I'm sorry, I'm a little busy right now…" Saori explained politely.

"Oh, it's okay, it'll be quick! Um… About the notes I borrowed…" the girl looked away a bit.

Saori smiled, "My notes…? Oh, right…"

And then came the bad news, "Michi lost them. I'm sorry, I'll make sure I yell at her!" the girl confessed.

A troubled look came to Saori's face for a moment then, "Huh?" The second it was there it was gone, replaced with a calm smile, "…Oh, that's fine."

Not wanting to keep on the subject anymore, the girl took a few steps back, "Well, s-see you!" She turned and ran off, leaving the library then.

Saori sighed, watching her classmate run off. Seconds later she recalled she had been helping a boy, "Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized. "Um, so, if you've lost your student ID, you need to get a copy of this form from the faculty office and…" Minako went back to helping the new flood of students ad Saori assisted the other boy, explaining to him what he needed to do.

Eventually, the flood of people slowed to a trickle, then stopped entirely. Saori sighed, leaning back against the counter a bit, "Whew… Today was pretty rough, don't you think?"

"Yeah," Minako agreed as she started to gather her things. "Wanna grab something to eat?" she offered, "my treat."

Saori looked a bit sad then, "…Oh, sorry. I'm not allowed to do things like that. My family's really strict… I'm really sorry."

"Oh, well that's okay," Minako replied, brushing it off.

"Oh, right, didn't we get homework today? I should make use of this time and get it done…" Saori mused more to herself than she did to Minako. "Oh, wait, my notes…"

"Wanna borrow mine?" Minako offered. She always took pretty good notes, she was sure she had something that Saori could use to help her with her homework.

Saori looked a bit surprised at Minako, "Huh? Oh, no, it's okay! I was just thinking that my homework would be a lot easier if I had the notes I gave her… Well, there's no point complaining about what I don't have."

Minako listened to her for a moment before raising a brow, "Wont you confront her?" After all, since that girl was responsible for Saori's notes she should do something to make up for it.

…

Like doing her homework for her.

Saori laughed a bit, "…It's okay…You're such a nice person. Thanks, though." Looking over at the clock, she tried to see how much time they had left before they were free to go. "Oh, it's almost time. Which do you want to do? Clean the counter, or make sure everyone's left the library? Let's roshambo for it," she laughed again, "Ready?" She waited until Minako was ready for it, "Ro…Sham…Bo!"

Minako ended up being the one to win, and so she chose to look around and make sure everyone was out of the library. She trotted off into the rows of shelves, looking for any students. She found a couple kissing in the back and blushed. Interrupting their… moment, Minako told them that the library was closing. The girl's face flushed, and she ran out, her boyfriend following after her. Other than that the place seemed completely empty, so Minako headed back to the front counter.

After everything was done, Minako and Saori left the school together, parting ways after the monorail ride to head back to their respective homes.

"Hm, that's strange," Mitsuru mused aloud when Minako returned, "the number on Lost seem to be on the rise again. Perhaps the decline was only temporary…"

Yukari looked as surprised at Minako, "Huh? Does that mean that no matter how many Shadows we defeat, more will keep coming?" The lighter brunette sighed, slumping where she sat on the couch, "If that's the case, then what's the point of fighting…?"

"If we do nothing, then everyone will eventually join The Lost," Mitsuru lectured, "Our efforts have prevented the crisis from escalating."

"I guess your right," Yukari grumbled, "…Ya know, it's kinda creepy when you think about it…" Her gaze then went to Minako, who was standing just to the side of where Mitsuru was seated. "If we couldn't use our Personas, then the whole city would be crawling with zombies…"

So then Minako's dreams of a zombie apocalypse _could_ come true! Well, she'd make sure to get a few shotguns, some magnums, and a lovely grenade launcher just for the occasion!

Joking aside…

Minako leaned over the back of the couch, "Is everyone free tonight, Mitsuru-senpai?"

Mitsuru looked up from her reading to give a nod, "Yes, everyone is. Would you like to go to Tartrus tonight?"

The brunette nodded, "Yeah, but first I have to check out a rumor I heard. I'll meet up with you guys at Tartrus later." After Mitsuru agreed, Minako headed of to Paulownia Mall. She was curious to see if there really would be a celebrity there. When she arrived at the mall, she noticed a man in a suit who looked vaguely familiar. Maybe this guy was him? She'd never seen him here before. Walking closer, Minako looked at the stranger curiously.

The man seemed to notice her easily, looking over, "Hey, you're pretty charming."

Wait… so then did the Pheromone tea really…?

"Hello there, young lady…" he began again, clearing his throat. "How would you like to have your dreams come true? I have a golden opportunity for you…"

Dreams come true? How old did he think she was, four? Well, might as well see where he was going with it, "Tell me more!"

The man looked around a bit before leaning in a little to speak to her softly. "I'm only saying this to you, so don't tell anyone, okay?" He waited for Minako to nod her head, "…I can make you rich - - guaranteed. All you need is twenty-thousand yen, and your investments will multiply by ten, no, one-hundred! And the best part is, you don't have to do a thing! You'll become fabulously wealthy while you sleep! Just give me twenty-thousand yen, and I'll take care of the rest." He gave her what was supposed to be a charming smile, "Well, what do you say?"

Oh! She recognized him now – it was that Mr. Tanaka guy, right? Yeah, she thought she smelt a con artist. Minako knew a scam when she heard one – but if she played her cards right she could blackmail him later. Maybe it would get her a discount on the crappy items that only turned out to be useful during the Dark Hour. Minako put on a plastic smile just dripping with hidden venom, "Sure," she agreed, fishing out her wallet. Thanks to Tartrus, the S.E.E.S. dorm dwellers had plenty of money to spare. It was nothing to fish out twenty-thousand yen and hand it over, she still had enough to live on comfortably.

"I'll be in touch once your fortune has been made," the man assured.

Funny, he wasn't asking her name or anything. Yup, this was definitely a scam.

She met up with the others at Tartrus, and they started their training for the night. They back tracked to floor twenty and headed up from there, plowing through any Shadows they encountered for the sake of getting stronger.

_(5/29) __FRIDAY_

That morning on her way to the front doors of the school, Minako overheard that couple talking quite loudly off to the side. It was the boy she heard first, talking to his girlfriend. Whether they were actually a couple or not, Minako had no idea, but it was easier to think of them that way. "I heard from a younger guy in my club yesterday that the tenth graders are teasing someone."

The girl looked upset to hear such a thing. "What, like bullying him? Poor kid… What's his name?"

The guy shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know… All I heard is that it's really a problem." He frowned then, crossing his arms, "I thought our school was peaceful, too, but I guess it's not so much."

The first bell rang, dragging Minako to class with the thought of bullies in their school. Taking a seat, the brunette groaned to discover that it was Mr. Edogawa teaching their class yet again. The man looked the same as he had the pervious day. Did he even go home and change? Or did he just go back to his nurse's office and fall asleep there?

"Quiet down, class," he said, his dull voice reminding her of the 'Clear Eyes…Wow' guy. "I'ts time to begin today's lectured. Progredio sdo rukem shiderem…"

…

What the fuck was that? Is he speaking Spanish? No, maybe Latin, but not Spanish.

"Mr. Ekoda left work early today, so today's lecture will be a little different," Mr. Edogawa explained, "He looked fine, but he claimed he didn't feel well. Make sure you know what you're eating, everyone, before you take a bite. Last time, I related some basic magical knowledge…Today, I'll add to that with a discussion of meditation. But first, let's review the ways that magicians meditate. To heighten your creative impulse, the source of all magic power…Carefully observe a real-world object, and recreate it in your head to the last detail."

Though Minako thought it was utterly stupid, she gave it a shot anyway. Closing her eyes, she pictured her trusty Naginata, down to the last scratch in its surface.

"That's the Western style," Mr. Edogawa explained after a moment of silence to let everyone take a shot at it, "but I'd also like to talk about the Eastern Style of meditation. Meditation was actually refined in the East…Modern magicians adapted Eastern meditation for their own original style. Straighten yourself, take a deep breath, and concentrate." The classroom was filled with the sounds of deep breathing and a long slow exhale. "Those are the basics of Eastern meditation. You don't need much to meditate. All that's required is a quiet environment and some time. It doesn't take long, but you should allot at least fifteen minuets for it.

"Now for the practicalities…" he droned on, "First, your posture. Choose a position you're comfortable in. Sitting cross-legged is easy for most, or you could try the full lotus position, called kekkafuza. You can also meditate while sitting on a chair. Any position will work, as long as you're relaxed. Once you' can breathe comfortably, cover or close your eyes and relax. Now that you've prepared yourself physically, let's focus on your mind and soul. Imagine a symbol… Perhaps a large tree, or the moon. If you wish, it could even be the god of your own faith. However, do not empty your mind. That would actually be foolhardy. You run the risk of losing control of yourself."

Minako listened to his directions, and had her eyes closed still, her body relaxed….and then she fell asleep.

At lunchtime, Minako had been eating her lunch outside the classroom. She'd just been innocently eating her Melon Bread when the sting of a thousand glared nearly knocked her over. "Oh, it's you, Minako," a familiar voice called. Looking over, Minako spotted Akihiko, coming to a stop to chat with her. No wonder there was the assault of glares headed her way. "Funny running into you here. Oh, wait…" He looked to the door just off to her right. "This is right in front of your classroom, isnt it?" he laughed a bit, shaking his head, "I'll see you later."

Well, since his fangirls seemed to hate her already. "Senpai, are you busy later?" she asked curiously.

"I don't have any plans, no, but…" he smiled a bit, looking at her, "Don't you have anything to do?" He just looked at her smile innocently and shook his head with another laugh, "You want to hang out, then? I'm usually by the club rooms after school."

"Okay!" Minako agreed happily, waving him off then as he left. Since lunch was almost over, Minako decided to head back inside, sticking her tongue out at a few of his fangirls on her way inside.

The rest of the school day passed quickly, thankfully, and the next thing Minako knew she was on her way to the clubrooms to go hang out with Akihiko. Next time she really did mean it when she said she'd go to Tennis Practice. "Hey, Senpai," she called with a grin, walking over to him from the stairs.

"You really didn't have anything better you could be doing?" Akihiko laughed.

Minako shook her head, insisting that she'd rather spend time with her friends…like him.

He smiled then, patting her head (which she immediately batted away), "all right… let's go." As they headed out to the footlockers he explained that he had been hoping to get a bit of training in before she'd shown up. Since she was skipping Tennis anyway, Minako suggested that she join him in his training. "Really? You're not going to complain this time about it?"

"Well this time you wouldn't have stuffed me full of food first," Minako pointed out.

In the end, the two of them ended up jogging to Naganaki shrine from the station. By time the two got there, they were out of breath. Running up stairs would do that to a person. Akihiko hunched over, hands on his knees as he panted, gasping to fill his lungs with air. Minako relied on the jungle gym in the playground just off to the side of the stairs for support, filling her own lungs with precious oxygen.

"Let's take a short break…" Akihiko suggested, Minako agreeing whole-heartedly.

The shrine was quiet that day. Apparently Maiko wasn't around to play with, and there wasn't anyone else there to pray or play. "The wind's starting to pick up…" Akihiko mused, looking up to the sky for a moment as the two sat on the bench together. "That's actually a blessing, after working up a good sweat…It feels nice."

"Yeah it does," Minako agreed with a laugh.

"I usually train in the club room or alone in my own room at the dorm…" Akihiko pointed out.

Minako looked over at her Senpai, "You know… I'll train with you if, if you want….like, after I do my practice or whatever job I have to do at school."

"It'd be nice to have a running partner," the boxer replied with a smile. "…But if you join me, we're going to do more than just run every day, okay?"

"Okay!" Minako agreed. Not only would she be training with her Senpai, but she'd be sticking it to his annoying fangirls too.

"In any case, I should've changed into my workout gear…" he grumbled, looking down. "I thought this would be just a light run for fun…But, I'm drenched in sweat…"

Minako had to admit she was a bit sweaty herself. Probably not as bad as Akihiko, but sweaty none the less. "Don't catch a cold," she teased.

"This is nothing," Akhiko insisted, "I'll be fine." After a second of silence, he suddenly sneezed, covering his mouth luckily at the last second. His face flushed with a light pink to his cheeks and he looked away from Minako, who was giggling like mad. "…I said I'll be fine," he insisted heavily, as if telling the cold creeping up on him to not even try. Shaking off his embarrassment, Akihiko looked over to the horizontal bars with a smile, "Hey, want to try that before we head back?" he asked, pointing them out. "You cant do a back hip circle, can you?" he challenged.

"I bet you can't either, senpai!" Minako challenged right back.

"Oh really?" He grinned, chuckling a bit, "I'm actually quite good at it." The two of them walked over to the bars. "Want me to show you?" He grabbed the bar as he spoke, Minako taking a few steps back out of the way. He hung upside down for a moment, and then swung around backwards in a full circle. "Everybody should be able to do this," he stated proudly, stopping to sit on the bars. "Can you at least sit up here?" he asked, "…Here." Offering a hand to the hesitant brunette, Akihiko helped her up, making sure she wouldn't fall over.

It was a bit scary for Minako to be up there since it was hard to find her balance on the bar. She was afraid she was going to fall off – or even worse – fall off backwards.

"…This takes me back," he mused, a smile on his face, "…It reminds me of when I was a kid." He fell silent a moment, looking off into the distant sky. "I need to get stronger…" he said suddenly, muttering to himself, "If I don't get stronger…I wont be able to save anything." With a sigh, Akihiko shook his head, ridding himself of those thoughts. He looked back at Minako with a smile, "…We should get going. We're you sweating today, too? Make sure you take a bath today so you don't catch a cold."


	8. Not Evil, Just Sly

_Hi there everyone! Here's a new chapter! I could have finished this a few days ago...but not only was on a coloring rampage, but I've been talking to an amazing new friend. : )_

_**Junpei:** I'm starting to feel neglected almost. D:_

_Oh Junpei~ You're not being neglected. I know I normally max out your first, but I'm trying to keep things even for the sake of the story. *pats*_

_**Junpei:** *siiiiigh* Yeah, I know. :T But anyway, this chapter is for Deidara'sgirl19. Thank you very much for your reviews. : )_

_And now my friends, here is the next chapter._

* * *

_(5/30) __SATURDAY_

That morning, Minako was switching her shoes out at the lockers when she over heard the couple once again at the front doors. She wondered if they were doing this on purpose, or if they didn't know how loud they actually were.

"Hey, did you hear? That eleventh-grader…" the girl trailed off.

"Oh yeah! The one who was lying on the ground this morning, right?"

Minako felt like they really were just doing this so she – or other students – would overhear and start talking about it all. Then again, it gave her the inside scoop about things that were going on, so she didn't mind all that much. It wasn't like she was a gossip student. She could see other students slowing in their actions to listen in too, so at least she wasn't the only one who overheard the couple's morning conversations.

"I hope she just ran away from home," the boy continued, unaware or blatantly ignoring the numbers of eyes on them. "But I feel like this is the start of something big.

The girl nodded in agreement, "Yeah… There might be reporters and camera crews and stuff." She sighed dramatically, "I don't want to deal with it."

Well, since they were now complaining of the possibility of news coverage on the girl who was found unconscious at the school gates, Minako was no longer interested. Apparently it was at the right time too, because soon after she closed her footlocker, the first bell rang, telling students it was time to get to their classrooms.

Just as Minako feared, the classroom was buzzing with gossip when she entered. Two of the girls who sat next to and in front of her were gossiping as well, not caring that Minako had taken her seat. In fact, maybe they were hoping for her input as well as they chatted.

"Did you hear?" the one with short hair asked, "About that girl in 2-E…?"

"Yeah," the one next to her replied, "They haven't got a clue…Isn't that bizarre!"

"Man, can you believe these people?" Junpei asked, coming to a stop next to Minako's desk. He placed a hand on its surface and leaned against it, taking a look around the classroom. "So, did you hear the details?"

Minako was pretty sure that made Junpei a gossip too.

"About what?" Minako asked anyway.

"Well," he fully faced her desk then, crouching a bit so they were more on the same level, "A girl from 2-E went missing last night. This morning, they found her lying on the ground in front of the school gate. Nobody knows what happened, and supposedly, she's still unconscious."

Minako leaned against her desk then, looking Junpei in the eye. "Wow, what I heard didn't go that far – all I knew was that someone had been found collapsed outside the school this morning."

"…Morning," Yukari interrupted as she approached the two, looking a little sleepy and possibly irritated at all the noise from the gossiping in the room.

"Yo, Yuka-tan," Junpei greeted with a grin as he stood. "This is a tough case, even for Junpei Iori, Ace Detective," he said, stretching a bit as he sproke.

"Ace Detective?" Yukari echoed, giving him a disbelieving look as she leaned away from him. "…Are you stupid or something?" she scoffed, shaking her head. After a moment – because she probably wasn't that good at coming up with snide remarks – she threw out, "More like Stupei, ace Defective."

"Hey!" Junpei cried, recoiling from the words like a physical blow had been dealt, "I resent that." He shook his head, throwing a look at Minako (who was giggling at Yukari's remark) before adjusting his ball cap, "Anyway, where've you been?"

Yukari seemed to be past her teasing bit by then, "I was talking to the teacher. That girl they found…? I saw her yesterday, on my way back from practice." Yukari shrugged a bit, "She seemed okay then…"

"Whoa…" Junpei muttered, "Now that's really strange."

Rumors aside, class started soon, so the three split up to their respective seats and got ready for class to begin. Several times throughout the day, the teachers had to tell students to quiet down. The gossip lasted all day, which was somewhat annoying after the first hour and a half. Minako was happy as soon as class ended, which meant she was free to get away from the chatter. As she left the classroom, there was neither Rio, nor Bebe waiting outside the classroom to drag her off to club meetings. Akihiko was at club, Junpei was busy, there was no library committee that day…

Well, Minako could always check out Naganaki Shrine

Heading over to the decided location, Minako hoped that the little one would be there. It had been a week, she didn't want little Maiko to think she was breaking her promise about playing with her. She was easy to find though, standing in front of the Jungle Gym like last time. "Maiko-chan," Minako called as she walked over.

Maiko heard her name called and looked over. Seeing Minako approaching, the younger brunette smiled brightly, trotting over to meet Minako halfway. "Oh, hi! What are we going to play today?"

"Anything you want," Minako laughed, patting the elementary schooler on the head.

Maiko happily tugged Minako over to the slide first, where they took turns climbing up and sliding down. Maiko laughed the loudest as they ran around later, playing two-person tag and pretend. Eventually Maiko stopped as they were climbing the Jungle Gym. "I'm hungry," she declared suddenly, "…Can we go to Wild-duck Burger?" she asked.

Minako smiled, "Sure, let's go."

Climbing down quickly, Maiko jumped around happily. "Yay! I can't wait! I wonder which toy they're giving out today…" As soon as Minako had picked up her bag, Maiko grabbed her free hand with a bright smiling face looking up at her.

Together they walked hand in hand away from the shrine and to the Iwatodai Strip Mall. They walked down the few steps there to the doors of Wild-duck Burger and entered. Maiko ran up to the line, tugging Minako along, hopping about happily, talking about all the toys she'd collected from here from all the times she and her parents had come to eat there. Minako treated the little one to the meal, ordering whatever it was that Maiko had requested off the children's menu, while getting something simple for herself. The hours seemed to fly by as the two of them enjoyed a tasty meal together.

"This is yummy!" Maiko cheered, popping a fry in her mouth. "I love going out to eat!" She quieted a second, her voice softer when she spoke again, "…'Cause Mom and Dad never argue when we go out to eat." She looked down at her tray with her kid's meal on it, her lips curling into a pout, "They never used to argue! You have to believe me…But, why would they get a divorce?"

Minako stirred a fry in the ketchup she'd gotten, listening to Maiko as she spoke. "Maybe… they just fell out of love…" she suggested. It wasn't like she had all the answers, but from the way Maiko was insisting that things weren't like that before, then maybe that was the case.

"…Fell out of love?" Maiko sniffled, tears starting to collect in her eyes. "I don't want them to get a divorce! Do they really hate me that much? Divorce is dumb! I hate it!"

Maiko started crying loudly then, sobbing there in the middle of the Wild-duck Burger. Minako got out of her seat and walked over to the smaller brunette, hugging the little one. "It's okay, Maiko," she murmured quietly, trying to comfort her. "They don't hate you, sweetie…"

Even then it still took Maiko a good while to stop crying. Eventually her sobs trickled to sniffling, and soon stopped after a few hiccuped breaths. "I'm sorry…" she murmured after a while, still somewhat clinging to Minako, "I know it's embarrassing when I cry…I'll try not to cry anymore." Pulling back a bit, she looked up at Minako, trying her best to smile at the older brunette.

"That's okay, Maiko-chan," Minako assured, patting the girl on the head fondly. She didn't mind if the girl cried, Minako would comfort her every time.

Wiping her eyes dry with a hand, Maiko finally got herself back together. "Um… I guess I should go. Thanks for playing with me today."

"I'll come play with you again," Minako insisted, "Here, let me walk you home." Helping Maiko clean up her tray of food, Minako walked with her out of the fast food place and down the street to the neighborhoods close by the shrine. Maiko pointed out which one was hers before running off. Minako waited until Maiko was inside before leaving and returning to the dorm.

"Oh, hey," Yukari greeted as Minako walked in through the door. "Did you hear the rumor at school?" she asked, "People can be so immature sometimes. I mean, it's just a ghost story." She sighed, shaking her head as she stood from the chair she'd been seated in. "Anyway, I'm not feeling very well, so I wont be able to go to Tartrus tonight… Sorry. I'll prolly just watch a little TV and then go to bed early."

Minako looked a little downhearted, she'd been hoping to go to Tartrus that night too. "Oh… well okay. Feel better soon." Since they weren't heading to Tartrus that night, Minako decided she'd go outside… and maybe see if she could find that swindling Tanaka.

Just as she had suspected, she found him in the corner again. Putting on her 'I'm so innocent and easily tricked' face, she walked over to him. "Hi there, Mister."

"Oh, there you are…" the man said, as if he had been waiting for her to show up. "I've been looking for you."

Yeah, if by looking he meant waiting around for more people to scam.

"I have some unfortunate news regarding your investment."

Like she didn't see this coming.

The man scratched the back of his head a bit, "Things are not running as smoothly as planned. It still has the potential to turn a profit, but…" he feigned a sigh, "I would require an additional ten-thousand yen to get things back on track… Are you willing to increase your investment by this much?"

"Yes," Minako answered with an innocent smile. She had the money to spare thanks to Tartrus after all. Fishing out her wallet again, she gave him the ten-thousand yen.

"I'll be in touch once your fortune had been made," he insisted before walking off.

Minako was sure he was going to go to a bar with that money with the way he was talking. What was this great investment, Pachinko? Sighing, Minako headed back to the dorm to do her homework and go to bed.

_(5/31)_ _SUNDAY_

That morning, Minako actually work up at a good time. She had just finished washing her face and started brushing her hair when her phone began to ring. Wandering over, she picked it up and flipped it open, holding it up with her shoulder as she continued to brush her hair. "Hello? This is Minako."

"Yo, Junpei here!" her friend called from the other end, "You got some time?"

"Sure, what's up, Junpei-kun?" she asked.

Junpei sounded excited and hopeful that she'd agree, "Hey, you wanna do something today?"

Minako laughed, "Do you really need to ask? Sure, I'll be down in a bit."

"All right!" he cheered, "I'm already in the lounge now, so I'll wait for you down here."

After hanging up, Minako went back to pulling her hair up as she did every day. She threw on a quick outfit of jeans and a navy-blue shirt and grabbed up her coat before heading downstairs. Throwing that on when they got to the door, the two of them left the dorm. Minako wondered where they were going that day, but just decided to let Junpei lead her to wherever.

In the end, the two wound up at the Iwatodai Strip Mall, and all the way up to the top to go to the Book On manga café. Minako had never been inside before, so she was curious as she wandered around, looking for a manga to read. They spent hours in there, reading and chatting. Minako could swear she went through seven books there despite the fact that she'd spent a lot of her time talking to Junpei.

Junpei sighed as they were leaving, causing Minako to ask him what was wrong. "We came all this way and I couldn't even read one manga that I wanted to read… Seriously, who was holding onto all volumes of that series!" He seemed a bit angry that he couldn't have gotten any book of the series he had been looking for. "Since they didn't have that, I forced myself to read through some of that shoujo manga. You know, the ones that're popular with girls now? I was curious what they'd be like. But I gave up in half an hour. Reading those things wore me out…" He leaned against the railing by the stairs, "All the guys in those manga are either really good-looking, really rich, or really smart. I mean, yeah, it's a manga, I know it's gonna be like that. But is that really the only kind of guy girls dream about?"

Minako had to admit that she did read a lot of shoujo manga. And by a lot, she meant a-freaking-lot. It wasn't the whole romance thing – well maybe a little bit – but she was in it mostly for the comedy. And sometimes there were moments where the characters would go through some traumatic experience, and they'd have to grow to overcome it….then again, the same thing happened in the shounen manga she read too. "Manga isn't reality," she answered plain and simple.

"Oh, really?" Junpei asked, looking a little surprised. "Oh…Okay, I think I get it. The girls are into it because it's something they cant get in real life, right? …Then again, we've got Personas, so our lives are kinda like manga too." Suddenly he grinned at that thought, "Whoa, when I think about it that way, it's pretty exciting!"

Sharing a laugh over that, the two of them headed back to the dorm together since it was starting to get dark out. They stopped by the store on the way back and got come instant ramen for dinner and a few snacks to munch on after Junpei convinced her to play some video games with him.

Needless to say, it wasn't until the last minuet decision did they all go to Tartrus for a bit of training.

_(6/1) __MONDAY_

Mitsuru was the one who caught Minako on her way to the schools doors that morning. "Good morning," she greeted, catching her just before the stairs up to the doorway. "…There seems to be a sense of restlessness in the air," she mused to Minako.

Minako looked at her oddly, "Really? I didn't notice…"

"You don't feel it…?" Mitsuru asked. For a moment it looked like she was just questioning the fact of her sanity. "Well, I just hope it doesn't have anything to do with the Shadows. Akihiko said we may be receiving a new member, but we don't know when we'll be attacked…So remain alert at all times."

The brunette nodded then, "All right, I understand."

After school that day, Minako told herself that she _had_ to go to Tennis practice that day. She couldn't just keep putting it off for other things. So when she left the classroom after the final bell had rung, she caught Rio in the hall on her way to the stairs and joined her. "Hey, coming to practice today?" she asked with a smile.

"You bet – I've taken too much time off, you should smack me for it," Minako huffed, "N-not that I actually want you to…"

Rio laughed and instead slung an arm over her shoulder. Together they headed down stairs and to the locker rooms to change. Minako had waved for a second as they passed Akihiko. The boxer gave a small smile and waved back. "You a fangirl?" Rio asked after they'd passed through the doors to the corridor.

"No way!" Minako laughed, "He lives in the same dorm as me. We hang out sometimes if we're heading home at the same time." _And he's a valuable member on my team for exploring Tartrus in the Dark Hour to help save the city from becoming The Lost, but that's no big deal._

Well…Rio didn't know about the Dark Hour, so Minako didn't speak of it.

Out on the field things played out like a normal practice. She and Rio did some stretches while they waited for the rest of the team to show up. When a few more people showed up they started with some sprints, and then moved to some sit-ups. However, no matter how far into practice they got, there was only a few members there, most of them were missing.

"Is this it today?" Rio asked after warm-ups, staring at the group they had for that day. Including Rio and Minako, there was barely even six people there. "Where is everyone else?"

"No clue," a girl with glasses on replied, shrugging her shoulders innocently.

Rio's brows furrowed, her frustrated gaze dropping to her feet so she wouldn't be glaring at any of the members who had been kind enough to show up. But before she could comment anything more on the missing members, another student ran up. "Excuse me! Could I borrow some of your guys' tape?" she called, jogging over. She had light mocha skin with bright brown eyes. Her hair – a light shade of black – was pulled back in a pony tail with her bangs pinned to the side.

"Oh, Yuko…" Rio muttered, looking up to see the girl as she came to a stop just a short distance away from the Tennis members.

"Sorry, we ran out. Is it okay if I take some from the box?" the energetic girl asked. She paused a moment, looking around, "…Doesn't look like you have too many people here today, huh."

Rio nodded, a slight frown to her lips, "…Yeah."

The dark-skinned girl smiled a bit, "I wonder where they hear about that group date…" she mused aloud. She frowned then, her brows drawing together in a slightly sad expression, "Seriously, I don't know if I should be appalled or jealous…"

"Hey, you idiot!" the girl with glasses hissed, trying to tell Yuko to shut up without outright saying it.

"…Group date?" Rio asked, looking somewhat appalled.

"Oh…" The tanned girl looked confused for a second as it sunk in, "Ohhhhhh… you didn't know… Sorry, I heard the girls in the tennis club taking about it at the shoe lockers…"

"So everyone went to that?" Rio asked, sounding rather upset.

Even the girl with glasses seemed to have known about it. She just looked off to the side, keeping her mouth shut.

Rio looked disgusted, "That's stupid…Why hide it from me? All this running around behind my back is so irritating!"

"…You'd get angry if we told you," the girl with glasses retorted.

"Of course I'd get angry!" she shot back.

The energetic girl hopped between the two, looking rather… frantic. "W-well, calm down…" she insisted, waving her hand a bit.

The girl with glasses scoffed, shaking her head in disappointment, "What a pain… They're just taking a breather. What's wrong with that!"

"You call a group date 'taking a breather'?" Rio retorted. Apparently even with the other girl between them, the other two girls were still going to argue.

"Yes!" The girl shouted back, like Rio was the densest idiot in the world, "I don't expect someone who's never been in a relationship to understand it, though! And what's with that attitude of yours all the time! Who do you think you are!"

Rio looked shocked to hear such words coming out of the girl's mouth, "What…! I'm your leader! You're the ones that nominated me! Or did you forget all about that!"

"If we knew you'd turn out like this we never would have nominated you!" the girl with glasses retorted harshly.

"What…!" Rio exclaimed, "Well, it's too late now!"

Sending a fierce glare at Rio, the girl with glasses threw her racket down, letting it clatter loudly against the court's floor. "Screw this! This isnt worth my time… I'm done with this stupid club. You're a pain in the ass, and I don't care about keeping up with you. I bet everyone else is gonna quit, too." After her snippy retort, she stormed off, the rest of the girls following after her in silence.

"Hey!" Rio called, taking a few steps after them before stopping, "I'm not done- -"

There was silence a moment, and the tan girl sighed. "I-I'm sorry about that…" she apologized.

Rio shook her head, "…It's not your fault, Yuko." she sighed.

"…Hey, I know that I'm butting into another club's business here, but…You…really should make peace with them. I'll try and help, too…" Yuko offered.

Rio's brows furrowed, her expression mimicking that of a child in the middle of a fit. "They're the ones that are wrong," she insisted.

"Uh…That's true, but…" the girl didn't seem to know what more to say. As she was grasping for words, she then realized there was a third person with them – Minako. "…Oh." She walked over to the brunette, leaning over to whisper in the girl's ear. "You're Minako-san, the transfer student, right? Can you keep and eye on Rio? She doesn't know how to interact with people sometimes… To be honest, I'm kind of worried about her…I try to lend a hand when I see things aren't going great, but I don't know much about your club…" A look of realization seemed to cross her face, "…Oh, by the way, I'm Yuko Nishiwaki. I'm the manager for the guy's team. Nice to meet you." With a wave, Yuko left then, looking a bit concerned for Rio still.

"Minako-san… you're not gonna leave?" Rio asked, still looking upset from all that had just happened. "…Sorry, but I want to be left alone right now."

Minako looked at Rio a moment, trying to decide if it was a good idea or not. She frowned and shook her head, "That ain't happening," she retorted.

Rio smiled a bit and laughed, "You really are strange." Even though she was smiling, she looked like she was ready to cry, so how could Minako leave her alone like that? She seemed hunched over and sad, hurt by the insults and words flung back and forth between her and the girl with glasses earlier.

With a bit of encouragement from Minako, the two of them continued on with practice and played a bit of one-on-one before cleaning up. Being the good friend she was, Minako stuck with Rio until they headed separate ways at Iwatodai station.

When Minako returned to the dorm, everyone was gathered in the lounge like when Akihiko had come back from the doctor's. Everyone was chatting and cooking instant meals for dinner, so Minako joined in. They all sat around the table together, eating like they were a family – something Minako was amazed to see she had missed.

"Hey, Yuka-tan," Junpei began, looking over at said classmate, "Have you seen the posts on the student message board? You know how last week that girl was found by the front gate? Well, there's this rumor that it was an angry spirit from this one ghost story."

"H-Hey! C'mon…" Yukari retorted, leaning away from Junpei, "Nobody believes that stuff! …R-Right?"

Mitsuru put down her chopsticks, her attention on Junpei, "So, what is this ghost story about?" she asked.

"Wha-!" Yukari looked utterly shocked that Mitsuru was taking an interest in such a thing. "It-It's probably made-up… so why bother!"

"I'm interested," Akihiko spoke up, ignoring his instant ramen now, "Go ahead and tell us."

Yukari suddenly looked very nervous as she glanced at Minako, hoping she'd say something along the lines of 'I don't care about some stupid fake ghost story. Don't waste your breath.'

Not in a million years.

"I want to hear too!" Minako chirped, pushing her instant Yakisoba to the side to give Junpei her full attention.

Junpei leaned forward then, lowering his voice to a mysterious tone. Minako had no idea where it had come from, but he also pulled out a flashlight. Turning it on, he held it under his chin to shadow his face eerily. "Good evening," he began, "Welcome to 'Junpei's Believe It, or Don't.' …There are many strange things in this world…According to one story…if you get caught at school late at night, you'll be devoured by a maniacal ghost that roams the halls! The other day, this friend of mine - - let's call him Shu… He said to me, 'Junpei, I saw something strange.' He sounded serious, so I asked him what he'd seen. He said it was about the girl in 2-E…He claims he saw her go into the school on the night of the incident. I couldn't believe it. She's not the kind of girl to be out at night… But Shu was as white as a sheet. She insisted it was true… Then, it hit me…That ghost must have tried to make her it's dinner! And that's why they found her lying on the ground by the gate! I felt a chill run down my spine, and I broke into a cold sweat… Yes, there are strange things in this world… Believe it…or don't." Turning the flashlight off then, he signaled the end of his tale.

Mitsuru turned to look at the captain of the boxing team who was seated next to her, "…What do you think, Akihiko?" she asked.

"Huh..?" Junpei looked dumbfounded and slightly hurt, "Not one word about my frankly amazing performance just now?" he asked.

"Your performance was great, Junpei-kun," Minako cheered, patting the boy on the shoulder. "Our senpai are just too serious to appreciate it."

Junpei grinned, "Thanks Minako-tan."

"I think it's worth investigating," Akihiko answered the redhead, ignoring the words of the second-years on Junpei's…odd and unnecessary performance.

Junpei was finding amusement at Yukari's squirming and nervousness after the story had ended. He grinned, "Wow, I didn't know you were afraid of ghosts, Yuka-tan. That's kinda funny."

"Hey, watch it!" she retorted, looking ready to smack him. "…F-Fine, then let's investigate. We'll each ask around for the rest of the week. I'll prove to you that this ghost story is just an urban legend!"

Mitsuru seemed pleased to hear that, "I appreciate that. The story is a bit unnerving."

"Huh?" Yukari looked over at Mitsuru somewhat surprised.

Akihiko smiled, patting Yukari on the shoulder as he passed by her to go throw away what was left of his food. "Then, I'll let you guys handle it. Just make sure you sleep with one eye open…" he teased.

"Whaaat…?" Yukari shrank back, seeming to regret what she had said.

Akihiko and Mitsuru left the dining area then, walking off to go have a seat in the lounge. Junpei and Minako finished their food together, while Yukari seemed to have lost her appetite. "I'm going to go research some things online, so I'm not going to go to Tartrus tonight."

Minako sighed, "Yeah, all right…" So when she had finished with her food she decided to head up to her room and work on homework. It was nearing eleven-thirty when Minako finished with her work and a bit of studying. Changing into her pajamas, she crawled into bed. Before turning the lights off, she decided she'd check the calendar she had hanging above her bed. It turned out it was a week before the full moon. For a moment, she was wondering when the little boy would visit her again like he'd promised…

She was just falling asleep when the Dark Hour rolled around. The change in atmosphere seemed to shake her awake, along with the sudden appearance of a familiar presence. "Good evening," a familiar voice called. Minako sat up and turned to look over to see just the boy she'd been wondering about some time ago.

"Good evening to you, too," Minako greeted, turning to face the boy as she sat on her bed.

"I came to see you again, as I promised," he said with that sweet little smile on his face, "How are you?"

Minako smiled, "I'm good. I'm happy you came back like you said you would."

"I'm glad you remembered me," he answered. His face fell to something more serious then, "Now.. in another week, the moon will be full again, and the next ordeal will be upon you. So, be careful. …I'll come again."

"I'll look forward to it," Minako replied.

Though the boy looked a bit surprised to hear that, he smiled before disappearing.

_(6/2) __TUESDAY_

"Mornin'," Yukari called as she caught up with Minako to walk through the school gates. "Ya know what…? From this day forward, I'm gonna do my best!"

Minako smiled, "Good luck!"

Yukari suddenly frowned, "Do you even know what I'm talking about?" she snipped. Maybe she didn't get enough sleep the previous night and was just cranky? "…Well anyways. You better find out as much as you can too… Remember, you only have until Friday! I'm counting on you too."

"Sure, I'll see what I can find out," Minako assured before the two headed into the school building.

The morning classes – unfortunately – were with Mr. Ekoda. Was it just Minako, or was she feeling a nap coming on? She really despised the teacher, he was so stuck up and self-centered. He probably thought that all students were nothing but a bunch of stupid, ungrateful brats.

"Ah… This phrase 'mono susamajiku' also occurs in 'Ugetsu Monogatari'. Of the 'Ugetsu Monogatari' stories, I'm particularly fond of the one about the ghostly wife," Mr. Ekoda mused to the class, "Such an eerie, yet poignant story… Speaking of which, I know a good ghost story. Would you like to hear?"

A ghost story? Well that was certainly different. But she was sure that it would only last so long. Minako decided instead to just go to sleep. Curling in on herself, arms crossed under her head on the desk, she closed her eyes, letting the rest of the supposed lecture fall on her deaf ears.

When after school rolled around, Minako got up and decided to wander around the school. Maybe she could get some information on the ghost stories and such if she asked other students. Maybe she'd find out more about the girl who collapsed if she found someone who knew her. She was asking some of the girls in the hall by the bathrooms about the incident when a hand patted her head, making her turn around to see who it was and bat the hand away lest he or she ruin her hair.

"Yo, Minako-tan, what'cha doing?" Junpei asked with a grin.

"Trying to see if anyone knows anything about the girl who collapsed," she answered simply.

Junpei laughed, "Nah, just leave that stuff to Yukari. C'mon, let's go, I've got a better idea." He towed Minako away from the girls by the wrist and outside the front of the school where they could talk in private. "…I keep getting this feeling that everything's so peaceful at school," he mused as they sat off to the side, watching some of the clubs jog by. "Everyone seems to be having fun, but they don't know what's going on…That doesn't make a difference or anything, but… It's like… I feel this wall between us and them…That's okay, because I don't really talk about serious stuff with them." Suddenly realizing just how serious he was sounding, Junpei plastered a grin on his face, turning the bright expression to Minako, "Hey, wanna go get something to eat?"

Minako smiled, "Sure!"

"Hey, it's Junpei," a male student's voice called, "You going home?"

The two of them stood up as Kenji, a boy in their class, came over to chat with Junpei. He paused, leaning over a bit to spot Minako just off to the side, blocked a bit by Junpei from the angle he was walking up from. "Oh, sorry. I didn't notice you, Minako-san." Suddenly a mischievous smile breached his lips, "Ohhhhh! If that's how it is, you should've told me."

"It's nothing like that," Junpei answered, waving his hand to brush Kenji's comment away. "We live in the same dorm, so we - - Hey, why are you getting your phone?"

Sure enough, Kenji was fishing his phone out from his pocket. "Minako-san," he called with a smile, "mind if we take a picture together?"

Minako was thrown off a moment, but then smiled none-the-less, "Sure."

"You don't mind either…?" Junpei asked, looking surprised as he watched Minako hop over to Kenji's side to take the picture. "What is this? Is this some code I'm not getting?"

Kenji laughed, "My sister keeps bugging me for pictures from school, but all I have a guys. What'll she say if I don't show her at least one picture of me with a girl?" The two of them paused with a quick, silly peace-sign pose so he could take the picture, both of them grinning.

"But still…" Junpei complained all the while, "…A picture?" Suddenly something seemed to hit him hard in the face – namely an idea. "Wait… Could it be you? Is it YOU!"

"Yup!" the boy chirped before he realized he had no idea what Junpei was talking about in the first place, "Wait, what?"

Junpei suddenly looked serious, "I-I'm gonna tell you this as a friend, got it? Peeping on girls is a crime!"

Kenji looked a bit confused, "Who's peeping! I just asked Minako-san if it was okay!"

"Not just now!" Junpei retorted, shaking his head, "PE! Pictures! The ones going around!"

If Kenji looked confused before, he was completely baffled now, "Huh? What're you talking about? I don't know anything."

And then a little something called realization slapped Junpei in the face. "…Oh, right. You're only into older women."

Minako laughed, "Really? Kenji-kun likes older women?"

"That's right!" Kenji confirmed with a nod. "At least I'm proud of who I am!" Looking between the two then, he let his eyes settle on Junpei, "So, what's this about? Are there pictures of her going around?"

Junpei suddenly looked reluctant to talk about it, "Uh…"

A frown came to Kenji's face, "Wouldn't the photography club be your first bunch of suspects?" he suggested. He seemed a little upset that Junpei would suspect him of all people to be the perp.

"The photography club…!" Junpei looked like he'd just solved a hard math equation and gotten it right, "I totally forgot about them…" A fighter's grin came to his face, "All right, We'll go check it out. Thanks, Kenji."

Kenji smiled then, "Make sure you smack 'em for me, too."

Then it was Junpei's turn to look a little lost, "Why…?"

Kenji just shrugged and walked off with a laugh, waving goodbye to them. As he left, Minako and Junpei turned and headed back into the school to go to the photography club's room. It was dark when they entered. The distinctly sour smell of the darkroom wafts about from the chemicals of the developer.

A senior boy was in the room, clipping a few photos up to dry. Noticing the two enter, he turned around to greet them. He had slightly wavy brown hair, and wore glasses. "The other club members are out right now…" he explained, "What did you need to ask about?"

Junpei suddenly seemed a bit nervous, "Th-There's supposedly this photo going around. You know anything about it?

"Going around…?" the boy looked a but confused by such a vague description, "What photo is it?"

"It's a picture of me," Minako said, stepping up.

"Huh?" The president of the club seemed to think on it, "I don't know anything about that… I know all the film used by the club members gets developed here. But, I don't remember seeing anything like that…Ohhhh, you mean someone was being a Peeping Tom?"

It took him a minuet to catch on, didn't it?

"That's why you're here…" he mused, "You sure you don't want to join the club?" He huffed a bit, "Oh, well, it's not me," he answered when the two shook their heads to his offer to join. "Also, none of out members would do such a thing."

"Huh, but that's…" Junpei looked like he was at a loss.

The senior smiled, "I know! People who love the art of photography would never stoop so low. I can tell you non of my people would have done it."

Junpei pulled Minako to the side then, glancing suspiciously at the senior boy before looking back at her, "…What do you think, Minako? Can you trust him?" he asked quietly.

Minako smiled, "I can trust him," she answered quietly. He seemed like a nice enough boy to be telling the truth to them.

"Wow, thanks," the boy said, smile on his face. It seems that he could hear them the whole time. "I'll ask the club members, too. Just in case. I'll get everyone with a digital camera to show me their data, too." He walked over and patted her on the shoulder. "Sorry, but that's pretty much all I Can do to help. I know it must be rough."

"Thank you very much for your help, we're sorry to have troubled you," Minako replied sweetly.

Together, Junpei and Minako excused themselves from the room and headed back outside. Junpei looked a bit frustrated, "Hm… you know, we haven't made any progress at all! I guess we'll just have to go about this in a more direct way…" He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "I'll try asking my guy friends again, too. Wait right here."

Minako smiled sweetly, "Thanks, Junpei-kun."

Junpei seemed fired up then, a fighter's grin to his face, "No prob, leave it to me." His smile became friendlier then, "It'd suck if your social life got ruined by something like this. Don't worry. I'm not gonna spread the rumor around even more…Well, let's just go back for today."

The two of them headed back to the dorm, stopping off to pick up some food on the way back. They got it to go at Wild-duck Burger, and ate back at the dorm in the dining room. As they finished, they headed back over to the lounge to sit with everyone else. Yukari was watching television, Akihiko was polishing his gloves, and Mitsuru was reading her book. Junpei had taken a seat on the other side of the couch Yukari was on and pulled out his Game Station Portable.

Before even turning it on, Junpei looked over at Minako who was about to take a seat on the arm chair closest to her, "Yo, let's go to Tartrus tonight," he suggested. "The Lost are everywhere, and it seems like it's only getting worse… Plus, there's those freakin' rumors goin' around school…We need to let off some steam."

"Are you up for it, Yukari?" Minako asked.

The brunette shook her head, "No, I want to get more research done."

Junpei laughed a bit, "I thought those stories were fake… But, she seems to be doing research on them. Is it the power of the Junpei Zone?"

"Huh! What did you just say!" Yukari demanded, turning a fierce glare over to Junpei.

Junpei jumped back, hitting the armrest on his side, "Oh shit… I pissed her off…"

With a frustrated groan, Yukari turned her back to Junpei, facing Minako then, "Ugh… I wonder why I said that…" she grumbled. Minako wondered if she was talking about just now, or when she'd accidentally volunteered the three of them to investigate the ghost story. "Yeah, it's Junpei's fault…!" she suddenly decided, "Everything's his fault…! The Junpei Zone! Psh! You really are dumber than you look!"

Sighing, Minako decided she wasn't going to even try convincing Yukari to go with them to Tartrus. She'd probably snap at Junpei all night. "Well, I'm gonna head over to Paulownia Mall," she announced as she hopped up. Leaving the dorm, Minako headed to the Mall, hoping to find something better to do with her time. Who, oh who, did she run into, but the man who was 'scamming' her innocent little self. With a grin she walked over to the well-dressed man, "Hi there, Mister," she called, "Did ya make me rich yet?"

"Oh, there you are…" He straightened himself, as if he was pretending he'd been looking for her by staring into the fountain to the side for an hour. "We ran into a bit of a snag again. Some of the other investors decided to drop out…"

Oh, how very convenient….for you.

"Since there are fewer investors, each person's profits will be even bigger!" He tried to sound enthusiastic, as if he was trying to convince her he was telling an honest truth. "Do you mind investing a bit more? Just ten-thousand yen more. That should be plenty!"

Minako was wondering if he had a pachinko problem, or maybe played poker a bit too much had didn't want to pay the little debt from it with his own money.

"Are you in?" he asked, looking a bit hopeful she'd agree even though he tried to cover it up.

"Sure," Minako answered. Just as she had before, she fished out her wallet and handed over ten-thousand yen.

The man looked at the money in his hand for a moment in silence, "My foolish little apprentice…" he said, shaking his head with a sigh, "Have you not yet realized that you are being deceived? Everything I've said has clearly been suspicious!"

Bingo.

"Ignorance should be a crime," he muttered. "Sure, you have some positive qualities, but if you remain so naïve, everyone will take advantage of you…Stick with me, and I'll show you how to be a winner."

"I'd like my money back then, Mister," Minako requested simply.

Taking her by the forearm, he dragged her over to the bench by the main fountain in the center of the mall. "Very well, young lady… If you insist, I'll give you my autograph. It's always a pleasure to meet a fan."

Either he was talking in a manner that wouldn't seem suspicious as those two housewives walked by, or he was really stupid. "Are you a movie star?" she asked, feigning that she didn't know who the heck he was.

The man looked rather annoyed at that, "…Dont you have a television? Are you living in the stone ages? …How barbaric!" Shaking his head, he tried to get a hold of himself. With his persona in place, he tried again, "I'm sure you've seen the home-shopping program called "Tanaka's Amazing Commodities"…Allow me to introduce myself…" He pulled a business card out of his suit's breast pocket and handed it to her.

Looking down at the card, Minako read; _"President & Executive Producer Tanaka."_ Minako was very, _very_ tempted to pull a card-crusher moment and just crumple the thing in his face. But then… she might not get her chance to screw this con-artist over. "Oh, so you're Tanaka-san," Minako mused aloud after reading the card out loud to herself.

"That's right! I'm Tanaka. Surely you've heard the name," the well-dressed man said.

"Yeah I suppose I might have," Minako said. "So can I have my money back? If not there's a police station right over there I can file a report at…"

She saw him visibly twitch in an attempt not to yell at that remark. He cleared his throat, "I'm afraid I cannot return the fourty-thousand yen you gave me, but I've autographed my business card for you. Hold onto that… It'll be worth a pretty penny. Tootaloo."

He went to walk off then, and as he turned away, his fake smile melted into a look of annoyance. However, instead of leaving the mall (like a smart con-man would do) he sat on a nearby bench and began to mumble to himself. "That little brat…" he snarled quietly as he crossed his arms over his chest, "Doesn't she realize she's in the presence of a star! I should have charged her extra for a private autograph signing…"

Minako had to resist the urge to laugh and ask if he was an idiot. She could easily hear him muttering his complaints about her from where she stood. She pocketed the card and crossed her arms over her chest, facing the 'star', "I can hear you," she pointed out.

Tanaka jumped, looking over to see the girl was still there. "Huh! Wh-What do you want! Quit disturbing me! Shoo, shoo!" Looking around to see who else was around, Tanaka jumped to his feet and hurriedly walked back over to where Minako stood a frown on his face, "…D-Did you overhear me talking to myself? You'll forget it ever happened if you know what's good for you. I belong to a powerful talent agency. I'm practically a celebrity. I have an image to maintain…Don't even think about telling someone 'He took my money' or 'He called me a little brat'! Capiche!"

A poisonous grin game to Minako's face then. Well, didn't she have him wrapped around her finger now? This was just the moment she'd been waiting for. It's not like Minako was… evil or anything…but scammers like him really should get a taste of karma every once and a while. "I'll tell everyone," she retorted smugly.

If Tanaka looked annoyed before, he was on the verge of giving the word a new definition. "Very funny," he snapped back, "You may be cute, but you're no comedian." Though he was trying to put up a tough front, Minako could see sweat beginning to bead on his forehead. "…Silly me! I've let you in on my secret, haven't I?" He laughed nervously even though he tried to cover it up a bit and make it sound more humorous. "Don't tell anyone, okay! Please! I'll lick your shoes clean if you want me to!"

It was almost sad how quickly he cracked at the threat of telling everyone. None the less, Minako was determined to make him learn his lesson and have it stick with him for good. She pretended to think about it a moment, "Hmmmm, okay. I'll keep it a secret."

"S-Seriously? You promise?" he asked, "I'll make you swallow a thousand needles if you're lying! A verbal agreement is considered a contract, and I'll sue your pants off if you breach ours!"

_I'm not wearing pants, so I think you're kinda stuck there._ Minako thought.

"I've got your adorable little face etched into my memory," he said – as if it was a threat.

In all actuality…it was just creepy was all.

"But to tell you the truth, you might shine with a little polishing," he mused, "I sense that you're something more than your average pretty girl. What you need in this world is brains. Without brains, you can't climb to the top. I usually take my breaks here. I'd be happy to mold your young mind whenever you wish."

Minako smiled again, this time sweetly and less poisonous, "Sure thing, Tanaka-san, I'll be back again." Waving goodbye, she parted ways with the 'celebrity' and headed back to the dorm for the night.

_(6/3) __WEDNESDAY_

"S'up, dude?" Junpei called, suddenly sneaking up to walk next to Minako that morning as they entered the school grounds. "Hey, are you looking into that ghost story?" he asked.

Well, considering how Junpei had interrupted her investigations, she didn't get to very much. "A little…" she answered with a shrug.

"I know you're lying, man," he retorted swiftly.

"Well – well you interrupted me yesterday, so it's not my fault!" Minako huffed, "So technically I'm not lying….not completely anyway."

Junpei shook his head and laughed, "As for me, I've got better things to do…I say just leave it to Yuka-tan. Besides, I have plenty of scary stories up my sleeve. I bet you were seriously creeped out when you heard that story the other night. They say it's true, though."

"Really?" Minako asked, "I dunno, I don't think a ghost could really do something like that…"

The two of them entered the school and headed up to the classroom, arguing about whether the story could be true or not. Of course, things had to settle down when class started up, and the two had to take their seats. The classes seemed long and boring. Lunch came and went with a visit from Rio and a promise to attend Tennis practice. So after school it was obvious that as soon as she was out of the classroom she was meeting up with Rio and heading downstairs to the practice field.

"…Hey, have you heard that story about some sort of school club going on at Paulownia Mall?" Rio asked as they walked down the stairs together.

"No, why?" Minako asked curiously.

"Yuko was just talking about it," Rio explained, "A Buddhist monk gets hammered on sake and starts blubbering to you…" she made a face at the thought of it, "…What kind of club is that?"

Minako laughed, "Some weird-ass one, that's for sure."

"Right?" Rio smiled, joining in with a laugh of her own.

Despite taking their time in changing into uniforms and walking ever-so-slowly to the field, there was still no one there. Rio put on her best face and tried to ignore the fact that no one else seemed to be coming, so Minako didn't bring it up. They started as they did every time with some stretching and then a few sprints across the courts and back. Eventually they moved on to actually working with the racket and ball. Since there was no one else around, Rio decided to give Minako a one on one lesson to make sure she'd be getting the most out of any tennis playing.

"That's it," Rio encouraged when Minako asked if her stance was fine, "Always keep your knees in mind." She took her place on the other side of the court, the tennis ball in hand. "All right, I'll serve next, so…Oh." She straightened up, looking over somewhere a bit off to the side behind Minako.

"Heeey, Rio!" a male student called at Minako was straightening out and turning to see who it was.

Kenji, a friend in Minako's class, came running up just then, stopping about halfway through the court.

"Kenji…What do you want?" Rio asked, lowering her racket.

The boy made a face, leaning his head to the side as he sighed, "I've got some homework that I just don't understand at all. Could you do it for my instead? Or tell me how to do it?"

"Homework…?" Rio suddenly looked a bit annoyed, "I bet you just slept through class again." Her guess left Kenji laughing nervously, which somehow made Rio's expression lighten up a bit. "…What do I get in return?" she challenged, walking over towards the net to speak with him easier.

"Ooh, so you're up for it?" Kenji grinned, "Lucky me!" He gave a wink then, leaning against the pole at the end of the tennis court's net. "I'll give you my love in return. Love, baby!"

It looked like Rio almost laughed in his face, "Nobody needs that!" She paused to think a moment before smiling, "…How about you buy me a special at Hagakure?"

Kenji flinched at the suggestion like she'd just sucker punched him. "Yikes, that's steep…" He sighed, scratching the back of his neck, "Okay! I'll be waitin' around until you're done."

"Yeah, yeah…" Rio laughed, waving him off.

Kenji looked between the two girls, and then after giving a wave hello to Minako, he walked off, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Rio watched him leave for a moment before looking back to Minako, "Oh, sorry… I ended up loafing around."

Minako laughed and shook her head, "That's okay, you seem to get along with him."

"I guess…" Rio shrugged, "We're childhood friends. I've known him since preschool…He's like a younger brother to me. That's all." She smiled, laughing a bit at the thought. "He's been coming here a lot lately, and he's starting to be a pest…" she sighed, the smile falling as she looked back in the direction Kenji had walked off in.

"What's the matter?" Minako asked, tipping her head to the left in a sign of curiosity.

Rio was silent a moment more when her expression saddened. "Sorry, it isnt much of a practice with just two people...""she mumbled.

Minako honestly didn't mind. She was having fun, working with Rio like they were today. "They'll come back eventually," she encouraged.

"Yeah…" Rio agreed, though she didn't really look convinced. Turning her head a way slightly, she tried to hide her face as she bit her lip, trying to control the swell of emotions that seemed to pick up inside her. "It's like… I don't want to pretend nothing happened," Rio suddenly declared, "And I'm not going to day this is my fault…I know that I need to be more mature about this, but…" She fell silent again, her shoulders slumping. "All this stuff about having never been in a relationship and stuff…That's none of their business."

Walking over, Minako patted Rio on the shoulder, giving her a comforting smile when Rio looked at her. "Don't let it get to you!"

"Yeah…" Rio agreed with a determined look on her face. Pausing a moment she looked Minako in the eye hesitantly, "Minako-san…Do you have…someone you like?"

Well that certainly caught her off guard. Minako had to actually think about that one. It wasn't like she spent time with many guys…Junpei was more of a brother and a best friend to her – Akihiko was cool, but she certainly didn't harbor feelings for him like that… For some reason she even thought of that friend of Akihiko's that they'd met at the hospital….and who she ran into a few times at Hagakure. Though he had a scary face at first glance, he seemed like an interesting person… "I cant really say…" she answered, "Not right now at least…"

"I-Is that so…" Rio responded, seeming rather relieved. "I don't get romance. It seems like so much trouble, and there's no big reward for doing it."

Minako laughed, "I know what you mean if you think about it like that. But sometimes the things you gain from a relationship are worth it…but we can save talking about that for another time."

Rio nodded her head, "Yeah…Let's get back to practice. I'll serve, Minako-san, so you…uhh…Is it okay if I just call you Minako? I feel like it fits you better."

A bright smile lit Minako's face, "Sure!" she answered.

After their exchange of words, the two went back to their places on the court and got back to practice. Rio ended up beating Minako in the practice game, of course, but other than that, Minako got a pretty good work out that afternoon. Afterwards, the two split up at the footlockers when Rio left with Kenji. Minako put on her headphones, cranked up that day's choice in music, and headed back home to the dorm.

Back at the dorm it seemed like everyone was either complaining about the rumors, or (if your name was Yukari Takeba) researching them. Minako asked around, and everyone seemed willing to go to Tartrus for an hour of training. So after getting homework out of the way, the gang grabbed their Tartrus Exploration bags, a headed out to the giant eerie tower for some intense training.

_(6/4) __THURSDAY_

Yukari looked half-asleep when Minako ran into her the next morning at the school. "Mornin'…" she said just before she covered a yawn with her hand. "This sucks…I spent so much time thinking about ghost stories that now I'm having nightmares…"

"You shouldn't overdo it," Minako warned. She wouldn't want Yukari feeling ill or anything when the next ordeal came up either.

"Don't worry, I'm fine," she insisted. "But there's so many stupid rumors going around that it's tough to put them all together. I did get some useful information though. I'm gonna look into it more today."

Eventually the two of them reached the classroom and they had to stop their conversation. Heading to their seats, they got themselves prepared for another…boring day at school. When the day ended, Minako wondered what she should do. In the end she found herself in the library with Saori. There weren't many students stopping by or using the library that day, so she spent a lot of time chatting with Saori.

"Wow, is that how that teacher is?" Saori asked after Minako finished explaining how weird Mr. Ekoda was. "I never knew. I learn so much when I talk to you, Minako-san. I never get to hear all the rumors around school."

The door to the library opened shortly after, and a male student walked in and over to the counter where the two were. "H-Hey, Saori-san," he called, moving to stand more in front of her from across the counter. He seemed to be smirking for some reason, which put Minako on guard for anything fishy.

"Oh, umm… Takaoka-kun. How can I help you?" she asked, not seeming to get a bad vibe from the smirk on the boy's face at all.

"Uh, would you be interested in going out for karaoke?" he asked.

Saori looked a bit hesitant and maybe slightly confused, "…Okay?"

"Seriously?" he asked, looking rather surprised at how easy it had been, "Then, how about today?"

"I still have some things to do here today, so…" she replied.

That smirk on the boy's face seemed to grow as he leaned on the counter, "Awww, I'll wait around. Let's go once you're free."

A smile came to Saori's face then, "Oh…Okay then."

"I'll be waiting in the classroom," he announced with a half-wave before leaving the library.

"…That was sudden," Saori began, looking at Minako, "It surprised me."

"Do you get along with him?" Minako asked, still a bit wary about what all she'd just wittnessed.

"…I don't really know him," Saori admitted. "But if he really wants to go out with me, then…"

Minako frowned. Saori was making herself look like a total doormat. "Stand up for yourself!" she insisted.

Saori laughed a but with that lovely smile of hers on her face, "It's not that big a deal." She was acting as if Minako had just told a funny joke with the way she was laughing. "I don't really have any opinions of my own. If there's someone willing to take the lead, I'll gladly follow… I don't need someone… I just want to be needed by someone else." Her smile seemed to grow even more lovely, "If I can find someone who needs me, I'd love that person with ever fiber in my being…Do you think it's wrong to think that way?"

Minako sighed a bit, shaking her head, "I can understand that," she answered.

"Really?" Saori asked, looking rather cheerful, "I'm happy to hear that." Glancing at the clock, Saori looked a bit surprised, "Oh, it's almost time…I should get going. I did promise after all…"

Minako helped clean up and do the last bit of the duties left before they headed out. "Have fun, Saori," Minako said as they parted ways at the footlockers, "Tell me how it goes next time."

Saori laughed, waving so long as she headed to the stairs, "I will!"

With nothing more to do, Minako headed back to the dorm. On her way back she decided to stop by the Paulownia Mall. It wasn't like a little detour would kill her. Her curiosity took her to the night club Escapade. Wondering about that rumor Rio had told her about, she wandered around until she found the monk upstairs.

"Where's my booze!" he demanded with a hiccup when he saw her.

Mustering up the courage, Minako stepped forward, "What are you doing?" she asked for lack of a better question.

"…Booze!" he demanded, "where's my booze? I don't got nothin' to say to anyone who doesn't have any booze."

Sighing, the brunette went downstairs to talk to the bartender about getting the monk a drink.

"Huh? You want a drink? You're underage, arent you?" he paused, looking at her, "…Oh, it's for the monk upstairs, huh? I see. In that case, how 'bout you do me a favor first… Can you do around and take everyone's order? If you do that, I'll bring a drink upstairs for him."

"Sure," Minako answered. She walked over to the two women standing in the back, walking up to the one in the violet shirt first, "Excuse me, Ma'am, I'm taking orders for the bartender. What would you like to drink?"

"You're taking orders?" she asked, "Okay, um… Can I have a margarita?"

Minako then turned to the girl next to her in the white shirt, "And for you?"

The girl took a moment to think, "Hmmm, what do I feel like…? Darn, I should've checked my horoscope for today's lucky drink. Maybe I should get an apple martini…Nah, too sour. An Oolon tea might be good…Wait, that's kinda boring. I'll have a Bloody Mary."

Nodding, Minako then walked to the man in the orange shirt standing by himself by the stage. "I'm taking drink orders, Sir, what would you like?"

"Hey, how's it goin'? You're takin' orders, huh?" The man flashed her a charming smile, "I'll have a draft beer. Wait, actually, I think I'll have a margarita instead." He laughed and shook his head, "Never mind, make that a Screwdriver. I'll drink till I drop!"

Last but not least she walked over to the man dancing by himself closest to the bar and repeated her question.

"Ooh, are you hitting on me?" the guy asked.

Minkao shook her head, "Just taking drink orders."

"No…?" the guy frowned, "Oh, you're taking orders… In that case, bring me a ginger ale. Wait, I changed my mind. Make that an Oolong tea."

Minako headed back over to the bartender then. "Did you get everyone's order?" he asked, watching as Minako nodded her head. "Then what does the girl standing by the table in the back want?"

"Bloody Mary."

"Hm…I see," he scribbled something down, "Then how about the girl next to her?"

"A Margarita."

"Okay…" he scribbled something down again, "Then the person standing in the center of the floor?"

"Screwdriver."

"What about the guy over there…?" he asked, motioning to the only guy dancing in the club. "What does he want?"

"Oolong tea."

The bartender nodded then, "All right, I'll start on the drinks." He went off behind the counter to make the drinks. Minako assisted in delivering them to the proper person. In the end they met by the stairs again. "Hey, you got everyone's order right. Thanks for your help…So, what was it you wanted? Oh yeah, a drink for that monk upstairs." The guy rolled his eyes, "I bet he wants brandy again. Okay, I'll take it to him."

Heading upstairs, Minako told the Monk that she'd ordered him some brandy. Looking a bit impressed, the monk seemed to decide she was worth speaking to. "You look awfully young, kid. You still in high school?" he scoffed, shaking his head, "What're the employees here thinkin', lettin' you in." He took a drag on the cigar in his hand, being courteous enough to blow the smoke away from Minako when he exhaled. "Well, since ya got my a drink I'll pretend I'm your parent so ya don't get thrown out of here." He slouched back against the sofa he was seated in, "…Well? C'mon, kid, sit down. Havin' to look up at ya is strainin' my neck."

"Oh, sorry," Minako replied. Walking closer, she took a seat on the edge of the couch adjacent to where he was seated.

"So you wanted to see where adults spend their time, eh?" he asked then with a grin on his face….which then fell immediately, "Well, don't worry, in two or three more years, you'll be old enough to hang out here unsupervised. Just take it easy, kid. You'll be legal before you know it. No need to rush. Actin' like an adult only makes you look more like a kid." He laughed then, which ended in something of a cough, "I guess that sounds funny, coming from an alcohol-drinkin', cigar-smokin' monk, eh?"

"How does a cigar taste?" Minako asked. It wasn't like she was ever really going to consider trying one, she was just curious as to why people seemed to smoke.

"…Like leaves," the monk answered, "It may sound funny, but I cant describe it in any other way. I just smoke because it clears my head." He sighed before taking another drag of the cigar, "You seem to be optimistic about the future…" he mused as he exhaled, the smoke leaking from his lips a bit before he blew it away from Minako. "Well, don't get your hopes up too high, kid. That way you wont be disappointed when things don't work out. Cuz then you'll hafta smoke and drink just to get through the day…" He was quiet a moment, taking a sip of the brandy the bartender had brought up a few moments ago. "You're nothin' like those punks I see runnin' 'round town these days…Always being taken in by the police for questioning…I'm gonna remember your face, kid. And next time you come in here, I'm gonna have you thrown out. Got it?"

Well, that was….nice? Minako felt slightly insulted. She was starting to get sleepy. Rubbing her eyes, she realized they were burning slightly from all the cigar smoke up there from the Monk.

"Well, when you've had your fill, go home… and don't come back."

Deciding she was coming back just to see what he'd do, Minako then figured it was about time for her to return to the dorm.


	9. To The Rescue!

_Sorry this one too so long. D: Jeeze, I didnt think I'd get so distracted. Well, it is kinda a drag to have to go though the game so slowly for the sake of this fanfiction. But I'm too dedicated to stop now. 8| Just my luck, right? But nooooooow~ For my super-special-awesome co-host for this chapter~ Ladies~ I give you Aragaki-senpai! _

**_Shinjiro:_**_ I thought I wasnt going to co-host until I joined the team in this thing?_

_8| You're in this chapter, and you kick ass - I made an exception._

**_Shinjiro:_**_ Right. Thanks go out to Deidara's girl again._

_Thank you for the support! ^-^_

**_Shinjiro:_**_ And to her 'imouto' since we're too lazy to look up her fan fiction name I guess._

_Buuuuut! O: I dedicate this chapter to my super awesome, loving boyfriend - who most likely doesn't read this - but he rps as Aragaki-senpai, which is just great since I rp Minako. xD_

**_Shinjiro:_**_ Anyway. Here's the next chapter._

* * *

_(6/5) __FRIDAY_

That morning, Minako ran into Yukari again at the school gates. "Morning," she called, waving to the lighter brunette. "You look kinda tired, Yukari-chan, having nightmares still?" She patted the girl on the shoulder when she seemed to slump at the question.

"Ugh, you don't even know," she complained. With a sigh she straightened out, accompanying Minako on the walk towards the front doors of the school. "Hey, remember what we talked about on Monday? …The ghost story? Let's talk about it some more tonight…"

Minako smiled and nodded, "Sure, sounds fun!" she answered.

"Yep," Yukari agreed with a nod, "I heard some interesting stories…Don't forget, okay?" Suddenly she seemed to be wearing that triumphant grin of someone who'd just won a challenging bet. Apparently she'd gotten the right information about the rumor to prove it wrong.

The school day then started once the two had reached the classroom. Lots of boring lectures, note taking, surprise quizzes, the works. Minako didn't seem to mind though. It made the classroom hours seem to fly by. Of course, it did help that she took a nap or two during class.

After the final bell had run, Yukari approached Minako's desk, where she and Junpei had been chatting about the pop quiz and how poorly Junpei had done on it. "…Well, today's Friday," Yukari called, interrupting their conversation…which actually might have been for the better with how Junpei was suddenly starting to give off an emo vibe. "Did you two ask around, like we said?"

Junpei looked up from the slight slouch he was in, sitting in the desk in front of Minako's. "Huh? We had something planned for today?" He asked.

Yukari suddenly looked pissed, "Junpei, I _TOLD_ you - -"

Suddenly the ball-capped boy's hands were in the air, as it to thwart off her harsh tone and intense glare. "I know, I know!" he interrupted, "I'm just kidding!" He sighed, his head falling to the side though he kept his hands up for his own safety, "Man, you have such a short temper…"

"Then we'll meet in the lounge after school. Don't forget!" She was trying to sound not as angry, but Minako could hear the slight bite behind Yukari's words.

"Yes, Ma'am…" Junpei groaned.

"All right," Minako agreed.

The three of them split up then, each going off to do their own individual activities before meeting up back at the lounge. As Minako left the classroom, she spotted Bebe, who came rushing over. "Minako-sama! I 'ave been looking for you! Let us go to ze Home Economics Room!"

A bright smile curved Minako's lips, "Sure, Bebe-kun! Let's go!"

Seeming oh-so-joyous, Bebe linked arms with Minako and escorted her to the Home Economics room. They dumped their bags off on one of the tables and headed over to the same table they'd used before. "Minako-sama, it eez zat time again!" Bebe declared as she took a seat. "I will tell you what we're making today. What do you zink about zis? Kawaii, cute like you, no?"

Minako felt her cheeks flush at the compliment as Bebe pointed out a page of the how-to guide kept in the room. This time it was a guide on how to make a cute knit doll. "S-Sure! Let's make one!" she cheered, trying to shake the blush off her face when Bebe had looked away.

Bebe helped her get the yarn together after picking what color she wanted. "Bring ze yarn 'here… like zis!" He showed her how to use the needles to knit the yarn to make the knit doll. "Oui oui, very good! Ze needle hurts, so be careful." He guided her until she got the hang of it. Since the doll was small, it wasn't that hard to make, so the pieces only took a short amount of time to be made. "You do not weave ze yarn…you weave le amour!"

Following Bebe's every instruction carefully, Minako managed to make the doll and put it together. Knitting the nose on last, the doll was successfully completed. Minako's face lit up with a bright smile, "It's done!" she cheered, holing it up to show.

A bright smile formed on Bebe's face as well, "Zat is tottemo, tottemo cute!" he exclaimed, "It is almost as cute as you."

A bright blush took Minako's face then and the brunette held the small knit rabbit to her face, somewhat hiding behind it. What on Earth was she supposed to say to that? Was it just something they did in France? Maybe compliments were as serious there as they were in Japan. One thing was for sure; Bebe seemed to be a flirtatious Frenchman.

"I am sad to say, but it eez time to settle zings…" He began to put away the yarn and the knitting needles they'd used that day before turning back to the brunette. "Minako-sama, you 'ave gotten much better at zis! Subarashii! Wonderful!"

"I-I'm still a novice…" Minako protested, still clutching to the knit rabbit.

"Oooh, you are very modest!" Bebe seemed to admire with a light, soft smile. "Minako-sama. I would like to make somezing Japanese, but what?"

Minako thought on it a moment, lowering the rabbit from her no-longer-blushing face. "Something Japanese… hm…" she mused, "How about a kimono?"

"A kimono!" Bebe echoed, looking rather excited by the thought. "It 'as to be a kimono! But… zat eez very 'ard to make… I don't know 'ow. Plus it eez expensive…" He was quiet for a moment, mulling the idea over. "Hmm… I will zink about it. Arigatou! Zank you for ze advice! Minako-sama, you are ze only one I can talk to 'ere…You are so nice!" He gave her a soft smile before he finished cleaning up by putting the 'how-to' guide book back where he'd found it. "Oh, look at ze time! I must go 'ome now!"

Looking at the clock, Minako noticed what time it was as well, "Oh shoot, I should get back to my dorm too."

"Minako-sama… Mata ne!"

"Mata ne, Bebe-kun!"

By the time Minako returned to the dorm, Yukari and Junpei were already there, sitting in the lounge to discuss things. Yukari waved her over, and so the brunette took a seat in the armchair between the two couched Junpei and Yukari were sitting on. "Okay, as we agreed on Monday, we'll now hold a meeting to discuss that we learned."

"Wow," Junpei began, looking quite amazed, "you're really into this."

"Of course!" Yukari chirped, a smile on her face. "I got lots of good info. It turns out no angry ghost was involved."

Junpei looked a little bummed, "Oh, so that's what's important, huh?"

Yukari huffed at Junpei's comment, "First off, let's talk about how this rumor first got started…Since the girl was found on school grounds, there's at least one similarity to the ghost story. But, why did the rumor spread so fast if this was the first time anything happened?"

This was the part where Minako was grateful she'd run into the boy with his cellphone out all the time on her way home one day. She'd spoken with him a moment to find out he'd done some digging on the rumor too, and ended up telling her everything he'd found out. "It was the third time!" Minako answered happily.

"Correct!" Yukari replied, smiling at Minako. "But yeah, I was surprised when I found out the reason…Over the next few days, there were two more similar incidents. All three victims had to be hospitalized, no wonder people were talking." Yukari seemed to be going over a list in her head about what to go over, "Next, the victims are in different classes, and they don't seemed to be connected. However, they did have one thing in common. What was it?"

Junpei rolled his eyes, "What is this, a quiz show?" He looked at Minako then, "Do YOU know?"

"They hung out together," Minako answered, looking straight at Junpei like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yup, that's right!" Yukari agreed. "Not just once or twice, either. They got in with a bad crowd, and were always out late. It can't be just a coincidence… So, to find out what happened, we're gonna do some field research."

"Field research?" Junpei echoed, "Are you kidding?"

Yukari looked nothing but serious, "Yeah, there's this one place where the three victims were regulars."

Junpei looked a bit concerned then, "Wait, you're not talkin' about that place behind Port Island Station, are you…?"

"Oh," Yukari looked a little surprised that he had guessed right, "You're familiar with it?"

"You can't go there!" Junpei protested, looking even more worried, "I've heard some nasty rumors about that place!"

"Is that so?" Yukari didn't look the least bit phased by what Junpei was saying, "Well, then, we should all go together." She looked at Minako then, "You'll come, right?"

Minako had to think about it a moment. Junpei said there were some bad rumors about that place, but then again, the three of them went to Tartrus almost every night. How could this place be any worse? Shadows could probably do more damage than humans… "Sure, I'll go," Minako replied hesitantly.

"Thanks," Yukari said, smiling at her.

"Forget it…" Junpei insisted, "That place is bad news. I mean, do you think we're getting in over our heads?"

Yukari shook her head, "Up until now, all we've done is take orders. Does that feel right to you?"

"I know what you mean, but…" Junpei seemed to be having trouble coming up with a proper argument then, "Man, did you have to say it like that?" He sighed, slouching in his seat, "I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

Yukari was still smiling, seeming to be getting excited about the field research. "Okay, we'll go tomorrow night, then."

Well, since they were going the next day, Minako decided she'd head out to Paulownia Mall and see if she could find either Tanaka, or that Monk. When she arrived, there was no shady businessman in sight, so Minako decided to check out the club again. Making sure there wasn't anyone outside the club who would notice her, Minako snuck in. Waving hello to the bartender, she headed upstairs. So long as she didn't cause trouble or try to get any alcohol, he was fine with her being in there. The Monk was sitting in the same spot she'd seen him in last time, so she walked over and took a seat, "Hello Mr. Monk," she called.

"Oh, it's you…" He watched as Minako took a seat in the same spot she had last time, and the man chuckled, "Heh, what a strange kid…" He took a drink of his alcohol before the light seemed to turn on in his head. "Hey, I remember you…I told you not to come back here…" He huffed, muttering something about kids. "Well, I don't care as long as you don't get on my nerves…So, what are you doin' here, kid?"

Minako looked at the old man oddly, "…To see you?" she asked hesitantly.

"Don't answer a question with a question, kid. I'm the one askin' the questions here," the monk scowled. "…Still, what's up with the lack of discipline these days, huh? You better watch your mouth, kid. You think you can just shoot off your mouth cuz you're a kid? If you ere my kid, I'd give you a swift kick in the ass. You don't have to revere me, but at least show me some respect."

"What should I call you?" she asked. It would be smart to learn his name anyway if she was going to befriend him…or something like that.

"Mutatsu…That's my Buddhist name, of course," he answered, seeming a bit proud of his name. "And don't forget to put 'san' at the end," he reminded before taking a drag of his cigar. He gave her a grin after blowing out the cloud of smoke he'd gathered in his lungs, "The world's not a forgiving place, kid. You gotta show other people respect."

Though he was lecturing her, Minako could feel a strange sort of kindness behind his harsh words. "I'll be careful of that, then, Mutatsu-san," she answered. Even though it had hardly been two hours spent up there, listening to him lecture her, she was starting to get sleepy. Minako lifted a hand to rub her eyes – they were starting to sting from the cigar smoke again.

"Well, I don't really care what happens to somebody else's kid, but…just go home, all right? And don't ever come back here," he insisted much like he had the last time he'd ended their conversation.

Covering a small yawn, Minako stood up, stretching a second before walking over to the stairs and leaving the club. As soon as she was back in her room, Minako was face planting into her bed and passed out.

_(6/6) __SATURDAY_

It occurred to Minako that morning that she had plans that night. Just the thought of going to a supposedly dangerous place made her stomach twist in a bundle of nerves. Hopefully it wouldn't be anything worse than Tartrus…

To take her mind off things, Minako decided to go do something after school to calm her nerves. So she decided to go visit the old couple at Bookworms Used Books since she hadn't been there in a while. She spent a while in there, talking to the old couple, looking through books. She asked about any fashion books or how-to guides on making things like kimonos to help Bebe out. As the three of them wandered around they chatted idly about their days and how things were going so far. Minako explained to them that she hadn't heard anything about the persimmon tree, but she'd keep trying to look into it.

Then came the supposedly dreaded hour. Minako had enough time to go drop her bag off in her room before heading back down to the lounge to meet up with Yukari and Junpei. Yukari looked anxious to go, "…All right, let's get going," she insisted with a smile as soon as Minako was in sight.

"What's your hurry?" Junpei asked, looking more than annoyed…as well as a bit scared, "…I still think this is a bad idea. I mean, brining two girls THERE is like wandering into a lion's den with steaks strapped to my face…" Junpei shook his head, clearly thinking that Yukari was out of her mind. "How could you be afraid of ghosts, but not be scared of this…?"

Yukari didn't seem to understand. "It's easier to get freaked out by something you can't see, don'tcha think?" she asked.

Junpei scowled then, glaring at Yukari as he hoped and prayed she would realize just how stupid this was and call it off, "Actually, I'm more worried about things I CAN see… like bats and knives!"

Like that was helping the twisted mess of nerves that was making Minako reconsider her idea of tagging along. Suddenly, she wanted to go upstairs and work on her homework…but she couldn't let Yukari go alone. "Yukari-chan…this really isnt sounding like that great of an idea anymore."

Sadly, Yukari didn't seem all that surprised. She sighed and shook her head, "Big deal, so it's a little 'dangerous'… Come on, it'll be an adventure!" Ignoring the other two, Yukari headed to the door, opened it, and stepped out.

"More like a suicide mission," Junpei retorted with a groan.

Minako was really wishing she could use her leader powers and tell Yukari they weren't going to go, her included, and that they should do something else that night. Like go to Tartrus instead. But it seemed like it was too late. If they didn't catch up, then Yukari was going to go there alone – and that would be even worse. She looked at Junpei nervously, "Y-You'll protect us…right?"

"H-Huh?" Junpei's cheeks flushed with a bit of color. His ego seemed to kick into gear then and he patted her on the shoulder, suddenly much more confidant. "Hey, you know it! Leave it to me!" He grinned then, looking ready to take on the fiercest of beasts, "C'mon, let's go!"

Tailing along with the other two, the three of them made their way to Tatsumi Port Island, and walked over to the back alley by the station. There were entrances to a bar, and a gambling place… there were several boys and girls hanging out there though, outside the places. They didn't look friendly…or too happy to see the three Gekkoukan students wander in.

One of the guys, with slicked back brown hair, dressed in a black and white snakeskin-print dress shirt turned a glare in their direction. "…The hell?"

"Check out those rags…" his friend spoke up. His hair was a darker shade of brown, parted in the middle and framing his face to just past is ears. He sported a red-orange v-neck t-shirt and a pair of jeans. "They're from Gekkou High."

Junpei looked like a trapped rat in a house full of hungry cats. "Oh man, this is worse than I thought," he muttered.

"Hey you," the man in the snakeskin shirt called, "I think you're in the wrong place."

"Uh…Well, I…" Junpei took a step back, but kept partially in front of the girls. After all, he'd told Minako he'd protect them…even if he felt like turning tail and running like hell. If that happened he'd take them with him.

The punk's eyes narrowed at him, an ugly scowl coming to his face, "You don't belong here… Get it? Beat it, Goatee…"

Junpei looked a bit startled and caught off. "G-Goatee?" he echoed. Of course, he caught on fast for once, "Oh, y-you mean me…"

Sadly, Yukari looked like she wasn't going to take shit from these guys. She stepped forward, passing Junpei, looking rather pissed. "We don't need your permission to be here."

"H-Hey! Are you nuts!" Junpei whispered harshly at Yukari, just about ready to pull her back and run like hell from there. "Take a look around you!"

Yukari rolled her eyes, "I'm not blind, ya know," she retorted to Junpei. "Come on, don't be intimidated by these scum!"

This was the part where Minako wondered if Yukari had just come there to pick a fight…

"What was that?" the punk then demanded.

"She just called us 'scum'," a touch looking chick in the corner confirmed. She flicked a cigarette from her fingers, stepping on it with the heel of her boot at she stood. "We'll post some pictures that'll make her daddy cry! She'll wish she was never born!"

The other girls around her burst into laughter, all of them looking like they were not only sluts, but girls who could fight… fight dirty that was. "Oh, that's so clever!" one of the other girls commented, flicking a few strands of bleached blonde hair over her shoulder.

Yukari scoffed, sending a glare at the group of sluts in the corner, "These guys are the worst…"

"You oughta learn to shut that trap of yours," the punk spoke up again, taking a few steps closer. "Man, I feel sorry for you, Goatee. This bitch is a pain in the ass… huh!" And in that instant, the punk took another step closer and slammed his fist right into Junpei's stomach.

"Ugh!" clutching his stomach, Junpei stumbled back before he fell on his ass.

"Junpei!" both Minako and Yukari called, kneeling at the boy's side.

"That's enough," a familiar voice demanded.

Minako looked over to see who was coming to their aid, Yukari more concerned about Junpei having been slugged in the stomach. Who else did she see but the nameless stranger she'd become aquatinted with from her few run-ins at Hagakure. Akihiko's friend who wore the burgundy coat and black beanie.

He walked up to the other two guys from behind, watching them turn their attention to him rather than the three second-years. "They didn't know what they were getting into. I'll make sure they leave. All right?"

The punk didn't look like he was going to follow that 'suggestion' of the stranger's. "Who do you think you are, dumbass? You want some too!" He turned on his heel, swinging a fist at the stranger in the pea coat.

The guy easily dodged the punk's fist and, without even taking his hands out of his coat pockets, head-butted the punk, knocking him backwards.

"Shit…" the punk gasped as he stumbled back, his hands reaching up to cover his forehead where he'd been hit. "You just crossed the line! You think you're going home alive!"

The other guy didn't seemed phased by the threat at all. "…Wanna give it a try?" he challenged.

Suddenly, the punk didn't look so confident as he hesitated, "Uh…S-screw this…"

The girls in the back all seemed to laugh at the punk then, "What a loser!" they called through their giggling. Leaving their spot they walked off into the rest of Port Island station.

"Damn you, Shinjiro…" the punk's friend spat. "That's right… you're from Gekkou High too, aren't ya!"

"You better grow eyes in the back of your head!" The punk threatened before turning tail and running off, his friend tailing after him.

The three second years watched the punks run off. Yukari and Minako helped Junpei stand, and the male fixed his hat since it had almost fallen off when he had been knocked down. "Oh man, Senpai, that was awesome!"

"Hey, I remember you…You clowns were in Aki's room at the hospital," Shinjiro mused. He shook his head, ridding himself of the unimportant thought. "You idiots!" he lectured, "Get outta here. This place isn't for you." With his bit said, he started on his way out of the alley.

Before he could pass them, Yukari stepped in his way, "Wait! We came here for a reason!"

He eyed Yukari a moment a bit warily, "Did Aki tell you to come here?" he asked.

Minako shook her head, "No, that's not it."

Shinjiro huffed, "What do you wanna know? About that ghost story?" he asked, walking over to the steps by the mahjong place and took a seat.

Yukari looked a surprised at how fast he'd guessed it, "Um, yeah… How'd you know?"

"It's a rumor," he retorted. "Those girls who wound up in the hospital were here talkin' shit every night…about all the things they'd done to some girl named Fuuka."

"Fuuka…?" Minako echoed. The name sounded familiar for some reason.

"You mean Fuuka Yamagishi, from 2-E? They were picking on her?" Junpei asked.

"That's why people are saying it's Fuuka's spirit that did it," he answered matter-o-factly.

Yukari's brows furrowed, "Fuuka's spirit…?" she echoed, "Wait, what do you mean by that!"

A look of slight surprise seemed to flash across his eyes for just a split second, "You guys don't know?" he asked. "This Fuuka girl might be dead. She hasn't been home in over a week."

"Are you serious!" Junpei asked, looking shocked, "I thought she was out sick…But, she's missing!"

"So much for the ghost story," Yukari sighed. She actually looked a bit relieved.

"Mr. Ekoda is the homeroom teacher for 2-E, right?" Minako began, looking at Yukari since she seemed to know these things, "Does he know about this…?"

Shinjiro sighed a bit, looking down at his feet when he spoke, rather than to the other three. "I get it, Aki…" he muttered to himself, "Still trying to make up for the past. It's you who can't let go…"

The three second-years looked confused at each other for a moment before looking at their hero of the night, wondering what he was talking about.

"Nothing…" Shinjiro answered the unspoken question, shaking his head. "That's all I know…Satisfied?"

"Thanks for saving us," Minako said, smiling a bit.

"…Don't come around here again," he warned, standing.

"Um, thank you very much," Yukari spoke up, "You even gave us a hint…You're very kind."

"Huh?" Shinjiro turned his gaze to Yukari, almost as if he hadn't heard her.

"I, um…" Yukari stepped out of the way so he could pass through and leave since he looked just about ready to, "Never mind."

"Tch…" Shinjiro passed the three second years, heading for the mouth of the alleyway. "Don't come here again," he reminded them before turning the corner and disappearing into the night.

"Let's head back," Minako suggested immediately after Shinjiro was out of sight. "I don't want to be caught by anyone coming back now that Senpai's gone."

"Yeah, we can head back now," Yukari agreed.

The three of them started for the exit of the alley together. Minako looked over at Junpei a bit worried, "Does it hurt…?" she asked hesitantly.

Junpei had pressed his hand lightly to his stomach when they'd started moving, but removed it when Minako spoke up. He stuffed his hands in his pockets instead and gave her a grin, "A bit, but c'mon, I promised I'd protect you guys, right? It was bound to happen."

The brunette frowned, "I'm sorry about that…" Minako apologized, "You didn't have to…"

The ball-capped male laughed, patting Minako on the shoulder as the three of them approached the station, "Don't worry about it. It's just a punch."

With the continual insistence that the blow to the gut he'd received was nothing, the three of them headed back to the dorm. Of course…the walk from the station to the dorm was spent telling Yukari there was no way in hell that they'd be going back there at night.

When they'd reached the dorm, they'd gotten a short lecture from Mitsuru and Akihiko about how reckless their actions were, and how they should be more careful. As soon as that had been over, Junpei flopped onto the couch and refused to get up. Akihiko went back to polishing his gloves, and Mitsuru went back to reading her book.

"That guy looked kinda scary," Yukari said to Minako as the two of them walked towards the stairs, "but he was actually really nice, don'tcha think?"

Minako smiled and nodded her head, "Yeah, I agree."

Yukari sighed then, thinking about it, "But, I wonder what such a nice guy was doing in a place like that…"

"Who knows…" Minako replied, shrugging her shoulders. "Well, I'm gonna go up and do some homework. I don't think Junpei-kun will be wanting to go to Tartrus tonight since he got socked in the stomach."

"All right," Yukari answered with a wave, "G'night."

"Night."

_(6/7) __SUNDAY_

Sunday morning came, demanding Minako awaken and an ungodly hour as it streamed in through the window and hit her in the face. She groaned, sitting up in her bed, kicking twisted sheets off from around her self.

Her phone ringing distracted her from the morning grumpies, and she slid out of bed to pull the device off her desk. Flipping the old model open, Minako pulled the phone up to her ear, "Hello, this is Minako."

"'Ello, zis eez Bebe," the familiar French accent called, "Do you 'ave a minuet?"

Minako smiled at the accent that rang through the phone. "I'm free, what's up?" she asked.

"I 'ave nozing to do today. Would you like to do somezing wiz me?" Bebe asked from over the phone.

"Sure thing," Minako answered, "I'll hurry and get dressed."

"Yatta!" Bebe cheered excitedly, "I cant wait! I shall leave at zis very moment!"

Dressing in a rush, Minako threw on the first outfit she could find and was out the door. She hurried at a comfortable pace – not like she wanted to work up a sweat by sprinting to the station. Yuck. No sweaty, stinky Minako, thanks. Waiting by the entrance to the station, Minako soon met up with Bebe, who seemed rather surprised that she had beaten him to the station.

With a cheerful greeting and some light chatting, the two decided they'd head over to Paulownia mall. Bebe wanted to go to Power Records and find some CDs to listen to that would make him think of Japan and how great it seemed to be to him. Minako couldn't help but think that he was such a funny foreigner, but agreed that it would be fun. On the walk to the mall from the station, the two talked about what kind of music Bebe was looking for as opposed to the kind of things that Minako listened to. She shared her headphones with him for a while, playing a few of her favorite songs for him, like "Burn My Dread" and "Deep Breath".

When they reached the mall, they darted straight over to Power Records and headed inside. Rows and rows of CDs lined the shelves, all sorted by genre and artist's name. They spent a good hour at the sample spots, listening to whatever was available to listen to with the headphones. Minako managed to find a new CD by one of the bands she was interested in, and bought that while Bebe was thumbing through the Classical section curiously. She laughed when she called Bebe over to listen to some music, only to blast heavy metal in his ears, making him jump higher than she'd ever seen a person jump. Of course, he was a good sport and laughed it off too once the ringing in his ears went away.

Finally, after a five-minuet debate over which two out of the six CDs Bebe should get that he'd picked out, the Frenchman purchased one instead, deciding to save his money in his 'Kimono fund'. The blonde was jumping around with excitement when they left the store, clasping the bag that held his CD with both hands. "I bought some traditional Japanese Music!" he cheered, "It will 'elp me to remember Nihon!" He seemed to recall something, pausing in his steps to turn and look at Minako, "Speaking of Japanese music…I love ze sound of ze crickets. It eez very soozing…" He seemed to space out as he was speaking, as if recalling the sound of the crickets at night. "'Ow about you, Minako-sama? Do you like ze sound of ze crickets?"

Minako smiled, "Yeah, I like it," she answered. Though they were a bit loud sometimes if there was too many, but from the third floor, she'd yet to have that problem.

"Zey should be world famous musicians!" Bebe cheered. "I would like for my aunt to hear zem chirp…" And then he proceeded to chirp himself, as if mimicking the crickets.

As Minako laughed, watching Bebe imitate a cricket for a moment, she recalled that she had a gift on her she could give to him. It wasn't anything much – just a Jack Frost Doll she'd won out of the Crane Machine some time ago when she'd been aimlessly wandering the mall after school. Opening her bag, she rummaged through it until she found it. "Here, Bebe, you can have this if you like," she offered.

"Nani? A present for me?" he asked looking at the doll in her hands curiously. His eyes seemed to light up at the sight of it, "Wow, dis iz amazing! Sugoi, Minako-sama! Merci, arigatou, thank you!" He smiled brightly, taking the doll from her hands and spinning around with it for a second.

Minako was most happy to see that Bebe liked the gift. "You're welcome, Bebe," she laughed. Together, the two of them walked off to the station and took the Monorail back to the Iwatodai station. They stopped off at Wild Duck Burger to get some dinner, chatting and joking while they ate, before deciding to head off to their respective homes.

"Mata ne, Minako-sama!" Bebe called, waving as they split up, "Arigatou again for the gift!"

"Mata ne, Bebe-kun!" Minako called back, waving until he was out of sight.

Upon returning to the dorm, Minako greeted everyone. She relaxed in the lounge for a while, chatting with Junpei about what they'd done for the day. Turns out Junpei had only gone to the Manga Café and then Hagakure. He seemed a bit jealous to hear that Minako had more fun. Of course, then he was curiously asking about the exchange kid, since he'd never had a reason to talk to him before. Junpei didn't seem like he was going to go hang out with the kid, but Minako was able to answer most of the questions Junpei had, so it was all right.

A good hour or so later, Minako was ready to head up to her room. Waving good night to the rest of the team, she walked up the stairs. In the silence of her room, Minako decided to check over her homework and make sure the answers were correct before crawling into her bed. She read her book for about an hour before turning the lights off and going to sleep.

_(6/8) __MONDAY_

That morning when Minako woke up, her mind was quickly focused on business. As she dressed she recalled what had happened Saturday night at the outskirts of the station. How Junpei had been punched, and how Shinjiro had saved them. Most importantly, she recalled the information he'd given them about Fuuka Yamagishi, and how she's been missing for a week.

It was time to pay Mr. Ekoda a visit and see if he knew anything about the missing girl. Of course, there were still classes to get to first. It was amazing how frustrating class could turn out to be when there was something important to get done. She tapped her foot impatiently, eyes on the clock for almost the whole lesson.

As soon as the bell rang, Minako was getting up out of her seat and ready to head off to the Faculty office. Junpei and Yukari were right behind her by time she got to the door, and so the three of them headed downstairs.

When they entered the Faculty office, Mitsuru was already there to speak with Mr. Ekoda. There was another girl in the room too, seated in front of the teacher, looking down at her hands on her lap.

"Oh, Mitsuru-senpai," Yukari looked a bit surprised to see her there, "Why are you here?"

"Same reason as you," Mitsuru answered, her arms crossed over her chest. "Mr. Ekoda," she began, turning to face the teacher, "I'm here to ask you about a student named Fuuka Yamagishi…"

Just then the other student's head snapped up. Though her skin was tan, she was looking a bit pale and frightened. "No!" she cried, as if that was the last name on Earth she wanted to hear. "I-I never thought it'd turn out like this…Fuuka…"

"Wait… You're that girl…" Yukari mused, a look of recognition coming across her face.

"What did you do to Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked, the tone of her voice firm, as if saying she would not accept any lies.

"Hold on, Mitsuru," Mr. Ekoda said, butting in as he raised a hand to the red-haired student body president, "This isnt an interrogation." He turned back to look at the brunette girl who was fidgeting in her seat, looking about ready to burst into tears. "Natsuki, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. You wouldn't want to give her the wrong idea."

The brunette girl shook her head, dark brown eyes looking off to the side, too ashamed to meet anyone's gaze. "Fuuka…She…She always looked so frazzled whenever I gave her a hard time…Then, I realized… She's an honor student, but deep inside, she's just the same as us. I knew exactly which buttons to push… We were just messin' with her that day too!" She sighed, slumping in her seat a bit. "May twenty-ninth…We took Fuuka to the gym… and locked the door form the outside…"

"What!" Junpei looked shocked and horrified, "You locked her in!"

Natsuki nodded her head slowly, still avoiding anyone's eyes. "That night, Maki returned to school alone. She was afraid we'd get in trouble if Fuuka committed suicide. But, she never came back… and the next morning…"

"…She was found lying on the ground by the gate," Yukari finished for the other girl.

"I went to the gym to let Fuuka out, but the door was still locked. So, I opened it and went inside," Natsuki explained, "But she wasn't there…We all freaked out. Starting that night, we went out looking for her. But every night, another one of us went missing… and they each ended up like Maki!"

"I see…" Mitsuru murmured, thinking carefully. She turned her harsh gaze to the teacher in the room then. "By the way, Mr. Ekoda…" she began, "All this time, you've attributed Yamagishi's absences to 'illness'. But in reality, she was missing. You must have been aware of that…What was your intention?"

Mr. Ekoda looked at her as if she had asked what two plus two equaled, "I was thinking of the students, of course. You children may not understand, but we have to consider the future of everyone affected."

"You mean," Mitsuru began, her tone of voice taking a sting to it, "You chose not to report this to the police for the 'good of the class.'"

The teacher leaned back in his chair a bit, looking a bit nervous now. "It-It was in her best interest. I wouldn't want her records to be stained by something like this. Her parents agree!" It seemed like he was getting desperate to justify his actions.

"So to protect your career, you ignored your responsibility as a teacher…" Mitsuru lectured, "How despicable…!"

Mr. Ekoda looked taken aback, shocked by the angered expression on Mitsuru's face, as well as how she had basically kicked his butt with words alone. "I-I didn't… I was just…"

Mitsuru turned away from the teacher, ignoring him then. She was trough talking with such an irresponsible teacher. "About your friends…" she began, taking on a softer tone as she spoke to the frightened girl, "Did you notice anything unusual before the incidents? …Anything at all."

Natsuki looked panicked, trying to think, "They all heard a voice…" she answered finally. "…A creepy voice…Right before each of them went missing. They said it was calling their name."

"Oh, man…" Junpei muttered, seeming to get the chills from that alone.

"Senpai, could it be…!" Minako asked, Yukari seeming to catch on at the same moment.

"It's then, no doubt about it," Mitsuru answered, turning to look at the three second-years. "Until now, there was no way of knowing how or why some people are conscious during the Dark Hour…But, it's the voice; it draws them in. It's not a random phenomenon. This whole thing had made me realize… They're clearly targeting humans. Shadows are the enemy of mankind." She turned back to Natsuki, "Stay at our dorm tonight," she offered, "It's the safest place. If you hear the voice, tell us immediately. And don't leave the room, no matter what. If you can do that much, you should be okay…Don't worry, Yamagishi should be all right as well."

"Fuuka…" Natsuki sighed, her eyes trailing back down to the hands in her lap.

"Arisato," Mitsuru called, turning the face the three second years once again. "Iori and Takeba, too. We'll meet after school in the Student Council Room to discuss tonight's operation."

"T-Tonight!" Junpei asked hesitantly.

"We're going to rescue Yamagishi," Mitsuru verified, "If my guess is right, she's still inside the school."

"U-Understood!" Yukari agreed.

"All right," Minako answered. Of course, she was having a hard time seeing why it was such a great idea to be saying all this right here in front of two people who didn't know about the Dark Hour. Not only would the other two probably wonder what the hell Mitsuru was talking about, but they'd probably also imagine Fuuka holed up somewhere in the school, stealing food from the student store at night when all was quiet and deserted like some feral animal. Well whatever worked for her…

The three second-years headed back to class. Things seemed to move even more painfully slow after they decided that they'd meet up after school to discuss their latest operation. Minako was picked on a few times to come to the board and solve a math problem. Maybe the teacher kept picking her because she solved them quickly and accurately – unlike the teacher who seemed to mess up quite a few times.

When the final bell rang that day, Minako, Yukari, and Junpei all gathered their things and headed for the door. They crossed the hall to the Student Council Room and entered, waiting around for Mitsuru and Akihiko to show up. It didn't take them all that long to arrive, so their 'meeting' began rather quickly. There was a light tension in the room, everyone being completely serious about the task at hand.

"Tonight, we will infiltrate the campus," Mitsuru began, "Our objective is to rescue Fuuka Yamagishi."

Junpei then lost his 'stern' face, quite quickly too. "Um, I don't get it… Is Fuuka inside the school somewhere?"

"And why at night?" Yukari asked, "At midnight, this place turns into—"

Minako seemed to catch on to the implied theory of where Fuuka Yamagishi might be, "Oh, you mean she's –"

"Exactly," Mitsuru answered, cutting the two of them off. "That's how Yamagishi wandered into Tartrus."

"Then…" Yukari looked surprised at the thought of Fuuka being stuck in Tartrus for so long.

"Ever since Fuuka got locked in the gym, she's been stuck there…?" Minako asked. Seemed like a frightening thing. Tartrus was full of Shadows – she hoped Fuuka was okay if she really was there.

Mitsuru nodded her head slowly, "…That's correct."

"But that was ten days ago!" Junpei protested, looking as if he feared the worst. "That means…"

"Not necessarily," Akihiko said, jumping into the conversation then, "We can't jump to conclusions. Tartrus only appears during the dark hour. So, what about the rest of the day?"

Yukari seemed to catch on, "Now that you mention it…"

"This is only a theory," the boxer began, "But I think time may function differently with respect to Tartrus. So, even though it's been ten days for us, perhaps it's only been ten hours for her. It's possible she's still alive."

"Wow, ya think so!" Junpei asked. "Uh, but the Dark Hour is pretty brutal… We can barely handle an hour; how's she gonna last ten!"

Yukari sighed, "That's true…And even if she's still alive, we might not be able to get to her…"

"Are you just gonna let her die, then!" Akihiko exclaimed suddenly.

Yukari and Junpei jumped at the sudden outburst, surprised that Akihiko had taken such a tone of voice.

"Even if it seems impossible, I still think we should try," Minako insisted, looking to her classmates, "Trying is the best we can do – and who knows, maybe she's not that high up in Tartrus. We've just got to see for ourselves."

"…I have an idea," Akihiko began, catching everyone's attention. "Let's try to enter Tartrus exactly how Fuuka did. We'll go to the gym and wait for midnight. That's the quickest way."

"Is that really gonna work…?" Yukari asked, looking a bit worried about that idea.

"Honestly," Mitsuru interjected, "I have reservations. If something goes wrong, you could all end up lost in Tartrus too. But…"

Akihiko looked fiercely determined to go through with his plan, "I won't stand by and do nothing if there's a chance we can save her…I'd never forgive myself. If you guys don't want to go, then I'll go by myself."

"Senpai…?" Yukari was shocked.

"I'm going too, Senpai," Minako declared, joining in. "I'm not going to just leave her there if there's a chance to save her. I'll come too."

"Minako-tan…" Junpei was the one to look shocked now as both the second-year's eyes looked to their leader with surprise.

"…All right." Mitsuru sighed, still seeming a bit weary about the plan, "We're aware of the risks, but we can't just leave her there."

Yukari stepped up to the plate then, a sudden determined look on her face. "I agree. And we wont know until we try."

Junpei was suddenly grinning with a mischievous look in his eye. "Cool, we get to sneak into the school!" He laughed, looking like a giddy child about to start an adventure he knew he'd get in trouble for. "In that case, I know just what to do…"

A confused look crossed Yukari's face as her eyes turned to Junpei's grinning mug. "…Huh?"

Minako laughed, patting Yukari on the shoulder, "Don't think too much on it, Yukari. Let's all head back to the dorm and prepare for tonight's operation.

Heading back in silence, the five of them returned to the dorm, each splitting off to head to their own room to get ready. Minako packed up her back, checking over her equipment and armor. She put on her lighter shoes that helped her evasion of attacks, and then went over the items in her bag, counting how many of each she had left. After that she made sure to relax and make sure she was feeling up and ready for the operation that night when they were all later called to the command room.

Up on the fourth floor, the five students gathered. Everyone had their equipment with them and looked ready to go. Mitsuru was on the phone, and they all waited silently for her okay to head out. She sighed and hung up the phone after leaving a message of 'urgency' that required the Chairman to call back as soon as possible. "This is a bit worrisome…" she muttered, "I can't get ahold of the Chairman."

"I guess we can handle it ourselves," Yukari suggested.

"There's one problem, though," Mitsuru began, "Without the Chairman's help, I'm not sure how we can get inside the school…"

"No need to worry," Junpei declared, wearing a bright grin on his face, "I've got it all set to go."

Mitsuru looked a bit confused, "Set to go…?" she echoed. "An explosive?" she laughed, "All right, I'll let you handle this."

"We don't have time to waste," Akihiko insisted, "Let's go."

The two third-years turned and left the command room, leaving the second-years alone for a moment. Yukari looked at Junpei with an utterly surprised look, "An explosive? For real?"

Junpei was looking a bit surprised as well, since Mitsuru had assumed he'd set up a bomb of some sort. "…Nah…" he answered with a sigh, "…All I did was unlock a door…"

Minako laughed, "Well, what works, works," she mused, "Let's get going, we shouldn't take too long."

Insisting that they hurry from Akihiko's call from below, the team quickly gathered in the lounge and then headed out for the school. The trip was made in silence, everyone tense as they headed out to start their first operation outside of the Dark Hour. When they got to the school, Junpei lead them around to a door at the back of the campus. Grinning oh-so-confidently, he pulled it open, revealing it was unlocked and allowing them to enter. Quietly they entered the hallway and hurried to the stairs. It wasn't until they'd reached the second floor that Mitsuru stopped them and gave them a moment to chat and check to see if everyone was there.

"See? We got in no problem," Junpei chimed happily with a cheer, "Man, I'm a genius!"

"Is that really something to brag about?" Yukari shot back, unimpressed.

"So, you unlocked it earlier…" Mitsuru mused, "Tres Bien!"

"Oui," Akihiko agreed. "No time for compliments. Let's go."

The two seniors ran off, heading over to the second-years classroom. Yukari sighed and looked over at the other two still with her. "What's the big deal, anyway…?" She didn't see why what he did was such a great thing.

"Tray Ben…?" Junpei echoed pathetically, "What is that, French? Lousy seniors and their lousy French…" he grumbled.

Minako laughed, patting Junpei on the shoulder. "Aw, come on, we'll have that class next year. Now let's hurry and catch up." Trotting off ahead of the other two, Minako headed for classroom 2-F and slipped inside, Junpei and Yukari on their tails.

Even though they were in the safety of the classroom, Yukari looked a bit unsettled. "Can we turn on the lights…?" she asked.

"Aww, you scared?" Junpei teased with a grin.

"No!" Yukari retorted, putting on her brave face. "…Stupie."

"Stop callin' me that!" Junpei shot back, looking a bit annoyed.

…What were they, five?

"Quiet," Akihiko spoke up, "It's better if we leave 'em off. They cut the power at night anyway."

Yukari looked a bit upset at that. "I don't like sneaking around…" she complained.

Mitsuru stepped in then, interrupting any further complaints or arguments. "First, we have to find the key to the gym. We'll split up into two groups and meet in the main hallway on the first floor. Understood?"

"The Faculty Office, huh…?" a grin slowly spread across Junpei's face, "Hey, maybe we'll find some test questions!" He chuckled.

"Are you planning something unscrupulous under my supervision?" Mitsuru asked.

Minako had no idea what 'unscrupulous' meant, but she knew that tone of voice meant; 'try anything stupid and I'll execute you.'

"If so, then expect to be severely punished…" Mitsuru added, throwing a warning glare in Junpei's direction.

Junpei looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "It-It was a joke! I'd never do something like that!" he insisted with a nervous laugh.

"…Perhaps I best take Iori with me to the janitor's room," Mitsuru mused. She turned to Minako then, folding her arms across her chest. "Arisato, head to the faculty office. I leave it to you who to take along with you."

Minako was a bit surprised, but she nodded, "All right." Looking to the other two, Minako thought a moment. "Akihiko-senpai, you're with me."

"All right," Akihiko agreed.

"Very well. Then Takeba will accompany us to the janitor's room. We'll meet back up in the main hallway," Mitsuru instructed.

"Right," Minako answered. She watched Mitsuru, Yukari and Junpei leave for the janitor's office before tuning back to Akihiko. "Let's go." The two of them headed out and made a left, heading down the hall to the stairs.

As they were crossing the Main Hallway, Akihiko suddenly stopped, grabbing Minako's shoulder to halt her movements as well. She looked back at him with a confused expression to which he answered, "Hold up, someone's coming!" he whispered harshly.

Footsteps suddenly sounded from down the hallway, slowly growing louder and louder. Soon enough, a light could be seen coming form the hallway to their left, across form the hallway they needed to get to. "Who'd be here at this hour?" Akihiko whispered. Looking a bit frustrated, he grabbed Minako's wrist, towing her towards one of the pillars by the bulletin boards next to the stairs, "We should hide."

Though Minako enjoyed the fact that they were avoiding getting caught by anyone to avoid trouble…she was a bit flustered at how they were going about it. Rather than hiding behind separate pillars, Akihiko stuck them both behind the same one, keeping out of sight of the approaching light. And so to keep them out of sight, Akihiko was a bit too close for comfort in Minako's book.

Her personal space bubble was being raped.

The footsteps stopped for a moment, and the light flashed across the Main Hallway for a moment, looking this way and that, before the owner of them turned and walked back down the hallway from which it came, slowly fading until nothing could be heard.

"Whew…" Akihiko sighed, stepping away from Minako and the pillar they were hiding behind. "Just a security guard.

Minako hopped away from the hall and took a look around. Yukari wasn't really the only one who thought the school was creepy as hell at night. "Let's go already!" she insisted.

Akihiko nodded, "Yeah, good idea." He paused to listen carefully, taking a few steps over to look down the hall. "…All right, he's gone. Let's go."

Running across the Main Hallway, the two crossed over to the hall on the right and went straight to the Faculty Office. They wasted no time in searching for unnecessary items. They went to the small drawers where the keys were kept and started rummaging through them.

"Here, I found it!" Akihiko declared, "The Gym storage key!"

Minako took a look at the tag on the key and frowned, "Senpai, that's not it."

"Huh!" Akihiko looked shocked. "What, it was just the regular gym key?" he looked a bit down, sighing at his blunder, "…I-I see." Putting the key back, the boxer began to rummage through the keys once again.

As she watched him look, Minako spotted a key just off to the right of where he was searching. Taking a closer look, the tag on the key said "Gym" on it. Minako picked it up just as Akihiko stopped looking.

He sighed, his shoulders slouching, "No good… It's not here. Must be in the janitor's room, where Mitsuru and the others went." He turned to leave, only to see Minako wasn't moving. "What are you waiting for?" Akihiko asked, "Let's go."

Minako held up the key, staring right at Akihiko, "I found it. Let's go."

"Oh, so you had it," Akihiko commented, "Well, why didn't you just say so?"

"Because I just found it now…?" Minako answered, looking a bit confused.

Akihiko was silent a moment. "…Well at least we found it. C'mon, let's find the others! They said to meet up in the main hallway, right? We should get going."

Minako nodded, "Let's hurry."

The two of them left the Faculty Office and headed down the hall to the main hallway of the first floor by the shoe lockers. There they joined up with Mitsuru, Yukari, and Junpei who were already waiting there for them. "Did you find the key?" Mitsuru asked, looking hopeful as Minako and Akihiko came into view.

"Yeah, piece of cake!" Akihiko answered.

"We'll divide into teams again," Mitsuru declared. Three of you will enter Tartrus, and one of you will remain outside with me. Once the Dark Hour has begun, I'll determine Yamagishi's position."

"I'll go," Akihiko volunteered. After all, it was his idea. He turned to look at Minako then, a slight curl to his lips, "You should come, too. You can take the lead, like always."

Really? She got to play leader again? Well that was cool.

"All right," Minako answered, "You can count on me."

Yukari spoke up then, "Um, then, I'll be the third - -"

"Wait a second…!" Junpei interrupted, "Remember how I accidentally screwed up on the monorail? Gimme a chance to make up for that!"

"Oh, come on!" Yukari retorted, "It's not always about YOU! Besides, you didn't 'accidentally' screw up."

Akihiko stepped in then, stopping Yukari from starting up an argument between the two with any more harsh comments. "All right, Junpei, we'll give you another shot."

Junpei grinned, looking pumped, "Sweet! Thanks!"

"Seriously…!" Yukari exclaimed, feeling at a loss.

"What's wrong, Yukari?" Akihiko asked, a slight smile to his face, "You don't want to stay behind with Mitsuru?"

Suddenly Yukari looked rather hesitant. "Um, n-no, it's fine."

"It's almost time," Mitsuru spoke up, looking at the watch on her wrist.

"Let's go!" Akihiko called to Minako and Junpei.

Junpei, Minako and Akihiko headed off to the Gym while Mitsuru and Yukari left to head outside and wait for the dark hour. With the Gym key, they were able to get in just fine and hide in their positions. The three stayed crouched in silence for a while, waiting patiently for the Dark Hour to roll around. Junpei had just opened his mouth – to probably ask how much longer they had to wait for the Dark Hour to start – when suddenly everything went black, the ground began to move, and then Minako was out like a light.

. . .

When Minako came to, she was alone in a dead end room of Tartrus. Sitting up, she took a look around before rolling her head and stretching a bit. She stood, picking up her dropped Naginata from the floor. "Must have fallen unconscious when the Dark Hour started up…" she mused. It would make sense, since she didn't remember the school transforming into Tartrus. "But… Where are…" Akihiko and Junpei were nowhere to be seen. "Darn, we got seperated…"

"Are you awake?"

Minako jumped at the sudden sound of a voice. Spinning around on her heel, Minako spotted the little boy in stripped pajamas who came to visit her often.

The boy smiled at her, stepping forward, "This is the first time we've spoken outside of your room."

The brunette smiled a bit, "Yeah, it is…Do you know where the others are?" she asked. Because, you know, he seemed to know these kinds of things.

"Don't worry," he answered with that smile of his, "You'll see them soon." His smile soon faded though, replaced by a slightly saddened look as he gazed off to the side. "But, we don't have much time to talk. Tonight, there is more than one ordeal you must face…" The boy lifted his eyes to meet her gaze, "You should hurry… She's waiting for you. You guys will need her."

Minako wondered if he was talking about Fuuka Yamagishi…he most likely was. Smiling, Minako patted the boy on the head, "I'll go find her right now. Thank you for your help."

That little smile popped back onto the boy's face at the pat on the head he'd received. "Okay, then… I hope we can speak again," he chirped before slowly fading away until he was vanished completely.

Not even a few seconds after Pharos vanished, Minako's receiver sprang to life. There was too much static to make anything out clearly, and the volume made Minako flinch. "Are… you…alri-?" Mitsuru's broken voice struggled through the static from the other end. "…distance… too far. …can't provi- … back up. You got s - - … from Akihi - -" The ear piece was suddenly overwhelmed with static, and then went dead. Minako frowned, pulling her hand away from the receiver in her ear before taking another look around. She had to hurry and find her teammates so they could go look for Fuuka.

Picking a direction, Minako headed off down the hallway, looking left and right as she ran. She carefully skipped around most shadows on that floor to take a good look around, but some battles were just impossible to avoid. While running from one Shadow that had spotted her, she ran right into another. Thankfully she had some Agi gems that she threw at both parties of shadows, giving her a chance to blow through a few without much effort.

After she determined that Junpei and Akihiko were not on that floor, Minako decided to head for the stairs. Halfway there the receiver sprang to life once again startling her with a burst of static. "…Akihiko and…aren't…this floor…"

"Mitsuru-senpai?" Minako called, hoping she could hear her, "Mitsuru-senpai? Can you hear me? Where are the others?"

"Who's there…?" An unfamiliar voice echoed. It was almost as if the voice was inside Minako's head. "…Are you human?"

"Hello?" Minako called, looking around for the source of the voice, but there was no answer. Frowning, Minako ran off again, climbing up the stairs to the next floor and leaving behind any Shadows on her tail.

Not even two steps into the next floor and the static returned, trying to deafen the brunette. "What's y- …current loca- … Reply immed—"

"Senpai!" Minako called into the receiver, "Senpai do you copy?"

Again an unfamiliar voice called out, seeming to be all around her, yet at the same time, inside her head. "Where am I…? Why am I here…? Please answer me…"

"Who are you?" Minako called to the strange voice, "Where are you? Are you Fuuka Yamagishi?"

No response.

Running off down the hallway, Minako again dodged around as many Shadows as she could. She couldn't afford to fight them all and get tired before she found Akihiko and Junpei. The communicator jumped to life once again in her ear, Mitsuru's broken voice calling to her, trying to get a strong enough connection to hear back from any of the three it seemed. "Can y- …hear me? …Please ans-…"

"Is someone there…?" the stranger's voice called again, "Please answer me…"

"Where are you?" Minako muttered to herself before running off down the hall, looking for the stairs. "It sounds like you're right here, but I don't see anyone! Agh – why'd we have to get separated?" She ran ahead, jumping over a shadow with a stroke of luck, and managing to reach the stairs before it could catch up to her. Sticking out her tongue at it, she ran up the flight of stairs to the next floor. "Senpai! Junpei-kun! Come on! Where are you!" she groaned. She didn't want to have to go find a return portal just to head back to base to meet back up with them – then the way they entered would have just been a waste and they'd never find Fuuka in time.

Running down the hall, Minako turned the corner to see it opened up to a wide room. There in that wide room, Junpei and Akihiko had met up, and were apparently waiting for her. "Hey, there she is!" Junpei called, turning Akihiko's attention to the approaching Minako. "Man, we were worried about you."

Minako huffed, "Why, because I'm a girl? I can take care of myself just fine, I was more worried about you, Junpei."

"Me?" Junpei echoed, throwing a look at Minako, "What makes you think I cant take care of myself?"

"Because you tend to charge into battle without thinking sometimes," Minako replied. She was saying 'sometimes' to make it seem less harsh. She knew he was the kind to rush into every battle without thinking things through. "Like it's a personal challenge. I was worried you'd take on more than you can handle."

"Aw, come on, Minako-tan," Junpei groaned.

"I don't think we should enter Tartrus this way again…" Akihiko spoke up.

Minako nodded, "Yeah, much to dangerous. We cant afford to get separated every time like this."

"Oh yeah!" Junpei interjected, "Did you hear a voice while you were in here?" He put a hand to his chin in thought, "Uh, kinda like - -"

"Who is this…? Are you human?" the unfamiliar voice called out once more.

"Th-That's it!" Junpei exclaimed, "That's the voice! It sounded like it came from behind us…"

Minako, who was facing said 'behind us' spotted a mop of turquoise hair peeking out from behind the corner. At first she thought it was a new Shadow, waiting to attack when they set off to find Fuuka, but then it shifted, and she saw a hand and a pair of eyes. "Ah." Minako lifted a hand, pointing in the direction behind Junpei. "I think I found her."


	10. Welcome, Fuuka!

_o3o Our special guest this time is a new Social Link we will be starting this chapter! Here's Yukari!_

_**Yukari:** I was wondering when I'd get to co-host._

_I was originally going to just let only guys co-host with me, but I thought that'd be kinda mean. :T So I'm letting all Main characters join in._

_**Yukari: ** Nice! Well, this chapter goes out to Deidara's girl and Imouto-chan again! Thank you for your reviews._

_Yeah, seriously, thanks. ;o; Reviews are the only things that seem to get me though chapters, and I only get like one or two per chapter. Oh, and chapters might take longer to come out, I'm starting up some temp jobs, so my time will now be limited! 8D Yay! Most free time will be on the computer, but I do have a boyfriend I looooove to keep in touch with so~ x3 But yes, just giving you all fair warning. lol. And I left you all with a great cliffhanger this time too!xD_

_**Yukari:** So without further distractions, here's chapter 10!_

* * *

"Ah." Minako lifted a hand, pointing in the direction behind Junpei. "I think I found her."

Junpei spun around at Minako's words, Akihiko turning to look as well. The person peeking around the corner jumped a bit, "Ah…" She stepped back a bit, trying to hide in the shadows she was already partially concealed in.

"Are you Fuuka Yamagishi?" Akihiko asked, taking a step closer towards the pale-faced girl.

Upon hearing her own name, she seemed to me assured that everything was fine. "Y-Yes…!" she answered.

"Wow!" Junpei exclaimed, "You're alive! That's awesome!" A grin spread across his face, trying to bring out an air of confidence that would make him look like a hero. "Never fear, Junpei's here!"

Akihiko put on a small smile, looking rather relieved, "I'm glad you're okay…Come with us."

Fuuka stepped away from the wall, walking over to where the three were. Her hands were clasped together before her, almost as if she were praying. She seemed to be relieved as well, and who would blame her? She'd been lost in a creepy place like Tartrus for what felt like ten hours for her. "Thank you so much…I…"

Minako smiled and patted her on the shoulder, trying to comfort the girl. "No thanks necessary. We're just glad we found you safe and sound."

"Looks like we made the right decision," Akihiko mused aloud, "I'll see if I can contact Mitsuru."

As Akihiko stepped off to the side Minako and Junpei focused their attention on Fuuka. She looked rather confused and frightened. "Where are we…?" she asked, looking around at the violet and gray walls of the room they occupied on that floor of Tartrus. "I was at school, and then…"

"Well," Junpei scratched the back of his neck, "It's a long story. I'll explain after we get outta here."

"And after you've gotten some rest too," Minako added.

"Mitsuru, can you hear me?" Akihiko asked into the communicator. Static answered his call over all three communicators and he sighed, "…No good. All I hear is static."

"Oh yeah," Junpei began, "Are you hurt? Have you run into any monsters?"

Fuuka looked at Junpei rather surprised, "So, there ARE strange creatures in here, then…" she mused. "I've managed to avoid them so far…"

Even Akihiko was distracted by that comment of Fuuka's. "Are you serious!" he asked, shocked, "How's that possible!"

"Um," Fuuka hesitated, fidgeting a bit nervously, "It's hard to describe, but… I can sort of tell where they are…"

Junpei tilted his head, not quite getting it. "What do you mean?" he asked, "Are you psychic?"

Akihiko shook his head, "She has the same power as Mitsuru," he pointed out in answer to Junpei's question. "…Maybe even stronger…since Mitsuru's Persona is more battle-oriented."

"Persona…?" Fuuka echoed, a confused expression crossing her dark gray-brown eyes.

Akihiko, rather than answering her question, stepped forward and held out an Evoker to her. "Hang onto this," he advised.

Fuuka gasped, jumping back from the gun, even with it's barrel pointed to the floor. "B-But, this is…!"

"Ah, no," Minako began, "It's okay, Yamagishi-chan."

"Think of it as a lucky charm," Akihiko said, taking her hand and placing the hilt of the gun in her palm. Closing his hand, her curled her fingers around it before letting go, "It's not really a gun."

If Fuuka hadn't been confused before, she certainly was now. "Um…okay…?"

"All right," Akihiko turned to the other two second-years, "Let's get outta here!"

"Right!" Minako cheered, glad the operation had been a success.

Since the operation had followed Akihiko's idea, he decided to lead the group, and since Minako was the leader, she walked right next to him. Fuuka was right behind the two, and then Junpei brought up the rear. Heading out of the room they were in, and into one of the hallways, the four of them began to wander around, looking for an access point.

Down one of the hallways, the four were surprised to see windows to the outside 'world' of the Dark Hour. The skies were green, tinting the clouds with their color as they drifted past an eerily large yellow moon. The four of them stopped upon the sight, taking a look as Junpei pointed out, "Whoa, check out the moon! I've never seen it so bright."

"Some research indicates that the Shadows are affected by the phases of the moon," Akihiko explained, his eyes on the bright sphere in the sky. "Of course, the same can be said for humans."

"That would explain Yuka-tan's mood swings," Junpei commented with an annoyed sigh. He was silent a moment before a sudden realization came over him. He turned to Minako then, "Hey," he called, getting her attention, "Wasn't it a full moon on the night we went to the monorail?" he asked.

Akihiko seemed to catch onto something, for he suddenly turned away from the window to look at the others. "Was it?" he asked.

Junpei seemed to notice that Akihiko was trying to make a connection, his eyes turning to meet his Senpai's gaze. "I think so… Why?"

"Hey," Akihiko then turned to face Minako, his brows furrowed, "Did you see the moon on the night the dorm was attacked back in April?"

"Back in April?" Minako echoed. She put a hand to her chin in thought. Not like she could ever forget that night – it was the night she'd first discovered her Persona. "I think it was full…" she mused.

Wait, could that possibly mean…

Everything seemed to click into place for Akihiko then. "Today's the eighth… The monorail incident happened last month around the same time…and the assault on the dorm was a month before that! …They were all during a full moon!"

"Wait, so then that means that tonight - - " Minako began – Yukari and Mitsuru could be in trouble!

Akihiko was already a step ahead of her and messing with the communicator again, "Mitsuru, are you there!"

Static blasted to life on the ear pieces again, but Mitsuru's voice managed to ring through for a few seconds. "Akihiko…? …Shadows - -"

"Hey, can you hear me?" Akihiko called, tapping the side of the communicator in his ear as if it would help shake the static interference. "Mitsuru, come in!"

"…Be caref…"

"Mitsuru! Mitsuru!" Akihiko called, an expression of frustration and worry mixing on his face.

Suddenly Fuuka took a step back, hugging herself, "…What is this thing…?" she asked aloud. "It's much bigger than the others…" she began, looking to the others with a frightened look in her eyes, "…and it's attacking someone…"

"Dammit!" Akihiko swore, clenching his hands into fists.

"Wh-what's going on!" Junpei asked, about to panic.

"It's one of THEM! If my guess is right, they come every full moon!" Akihiko explained, "We have to hurry!" Turning on his heel, Akihiko sprinted off down the hall without warning.

"H-Hey! Wait for me!" Junpei called.

"Let's move, Junpei!" Minako prompted, grabbing Fuuka's wrist and towing her along with them as they started running, "We have to find an access point, NOW!"

The three of them just barely managed to find the access point as Akihiko was activating it to head down to the base floor, "Hurry!" He didn't look like he was going to wait for them, but Junpei, Minako, and Fuuka managed to make it just in time to head down as a group.

As soon as the green light flashed, they were down on the bottom floor. Mitsuru was caught in the hand of one of the large shadows, a tall thin one, while the chubby female looking one waved around it's baton to keep others from getting close enough to help. Yukari was on the floor, battered and bruised – she certainly had taken her share of the damage.

"Mitsuru!" Akihiko shouted, rushing forward from their position by the access point. The other two followed suit, but all four had to stop back where Yukari was.

"What in the world…!" Fuuka gawked.

"Akihiko-senpai!" Junpei called, getting his attention before he could charge in and do something stupid. "We gotta distract those Shadows somehow!"

Akihiko glanced back at Junpei before nodding, "I know just how to do it…" Taking a few more steps forward Akihiko braced himself to charge at any moment. "Hey!" he shouted, "If it's a fight you want, we'll give it to you!"

Mitsuru struggled in the tall Shadow's grasp, trying to break free. "Be careful…" she called in warning, "Normal attacks wont work on these Shadows."

Suddenly, the front doors to Tartrus opened, the shadowed figure of a person slowly waling inside. "F-Fuuka…" Natsuki's broken voice called as she trudged into the lobby of Tartrus. Falling to her knees, the brunette slumped, her head lowered in a defeated look.

"Why are you here!" Minako called, taking a step forward, only to have Akihiko block her with an arm.

"…Moriyama-san!" Fuuka ran past Minako and Akihiko, startling the both of them with her actions. She knelt in front of the girl, concern in her eyes. "Please, get out of here! It's dangerous!"

The brunette girl looked up, her eyes meeting Fuuka's. "I… I wanted to tell you… I'm sorry…"

The two girls being so close to the two large shadows had Minako uneasy – especially when the round fat one turned to face the two. They didn't go unnoticed. The female shadow lifted her staff with a cry, taking a few wobbling steps forward.

"Hey! Look out!" Junpei shouted, trying to warn the girls of the approaching danger.

Both heads turned to look over at the approaching Shadow as Junpei pointed it out. Natsuki flinched back, covering her head in an attempt to protect herself. Fuuka stood, a determined look in her eyes. It was easy to see that she was ready to protect Natsuki in any way she could. Her hands shaking from fright, the pale-faced girl pulled up her Evolker.

"That's not a weapon!" Akihiko shouted to remind her.

"I know!" She pulled the trigger with the gun's tip pressed to her temple. A bright light shined as Fuuka's Persona was summoned, blinding the Shadow as it attempted to attack.

Recoiling from the blinding light, the round Shadow let out a shriek as it stumbled back, losing it's balance and crashing into the thin shadow. Both fell, the tall one losing it's hold on Mitsuru, sending her flying as the two collapsed.

Mitsuru tumbled for a moment before lying still on the floor, not too far away form the others. Akihiko was running to her side the second she had been falling. "Mitsuru, are you all right?"

A slight groan escaped the redhead as she pushed herself up into a seated position with Akihiko's assistance, "I'm fine… but…" Her eyes immediately drew over to where Fuuka had been standing, hoping that the girl was all right. It was only then that Akihiko looked as well.

Rather than the persona standing before Fuuka, she was around Fuuka. The torso of the body was above Fuuka. It's head was tipped back, eyes covered with a blindfold, and it's hands turned palms out in a sign of peace. Long golden locks curled and twisted around the face and down her arched back, just barely reaching the clear sphere that made of the rest of her body. Across the sphere of her lower half, golden lines spun a beautiful design, and inside stood Fuuka, and the seated Natsuki Moriyama.

Everyone was amazed.

"Fuuka-san..!" Yukari asked, sitting just behind where Minako and Junpei were standing.

"A Persona…?" Junpei asked.

Well…wasn't she the person they'd suspected to have the Potential?

"Wow…" Minako sighed in awe. Looked prettier than most of her current Persona.

"…I can see…" Fuuka's voice echoed, drifting through both their ears and their minds. "I…I can sense these monsters' weaknesses, somehow…"

Well that seemed a little _too_ convenient. Minako was starting to think that this was all too much like a video game. But, oh well, at least it would help make battles easier.

"…Just as I thought," Akihiko commented, standing from the kneeling position he'd been in at Mitsuru's side. "Mitsuru, let her take your place." He looked down at her for a moment, watching as her eyes met his before she nodded in agreement. A fighter's smile curled his lips before he turned his gaze to the to large shadows. Walking forward, he waited from Minako and Junpei to join him, their weapons at the ready. "We'll take care of this!"

The thin one roared out as the three of them drew closer. "Fuuka, we need to know their weaknesses!" Minako shouted.

Fuuka was quiet a moment as the three jumped around dodging attacks. Suddenly her eyes flashed open, "The round one is weak to physical attacks!" she shouted. "I'll try to find the other one's weakness too."

Minako pulled out her evoker, summoning Orpheus, "Bash, Orpheus!" she shouted. The long haired persona spun it's harp around once before slamming it hard into the side of the Shadow, easily knocking it over. "Go, go, go!" she shouted, "While it's down!"

The three of them charged in, attacking it with everything they had, avoiding any strikes from the larger one, until the round one knocked them back to get back up. They flew a bit, tumbling across the floor a small ways. Minako barely had time to breathe before she let out a small shriek, rolling out of the way of the tall one's sword as it swung the huge thing down at her.

It barely missed her.

"It's weak to elemental attacks!" Fuuka shouted just in time.

"Guys!" Minako screamed, scrambling to get to her feet as the Emperor Shadow lifted its blade for another try at her. If there was any time to come save her, now would be it. Even if she were to pull out her Evolker and summon one of her Persona, she wouldn't make it in time to get out of the way.

"Hermes! Agi, now!" Junpei's voice sounded.

"Polydeuces! Use Zio!" Akihiko shouted.

Two gunshots sounded and the tall shadow was then engulfed in flames and electricity. It cried out, falling back and dropping its blade. Minako sighed in relief, watching as Junpei and Akihiko charged in ahead of her to deal some damage to the thing before it could get back up. She spotted the Empress up and running over to charge her teammates from behind and charged in herself.

"No you don't!" she shouted, blocking the Shadow's path. She summoned Orpheus again, letting her bash her harp against the Shadow once more, but rather than falling, it brushed it off like the attack was nothing. "What? Fuuka – what's going on!" Minako shouted as she dodged the round one's baton. She kicked it as she darted past, keeping it's attention on her so that it would not attack her friends while they were busy keeping the tall one down with everything they had.

"I-I don't know, it changed it's weakness somehow!" Fuuka answered, "Let me check again, give me a second!"

Sure, that was easy if you weren't the one who had to fight it. Minako dodged again and struck with her Naginata's blade, but there was no effect and she was batted away like a pesky fly. Minako slid on her back quite a ways before she rolled out of the way from a swing of the thing's baton. Jumping to her feet, the brunette growled. Bash wouldn't work, so strike attacks were out, and her Naginata wouldn't work either, so slash attacks were no good either.

"It's Pierce attacks!" Fuuka answered the same moment Minako had figured it out, "It's weak to pierce attacks!" Assuming that the other Shadow was about to change it's weakness as well, Fuuka focused herself again, changing her target to the Emperor Shadow.

Pierce attacks? Like a bow? Yukari was out of the fight, so then how was she supposed to - - The light bulb turned on in the back of Minako's head, "Junpei, we need a pierce attack on this one!" She shouted, dodging another swing of the baton only to have her shift her swing at the last second. The thing hit her in the side smacking her closer to her comrades.

"I got it!" She heard Junpei call as he ran past her, "Cleave, Hermes! Let's go!" The Evoker sounded as the Persona was summoned, and seconds later they could hear the thud of the Shadow falling to the ground followed with an, "All right!" from Junpei.

As Minako was hurrying to push herself to her feet, her body aching from just those few hits alone, she heard the gunshot of someone's Evoker again. Looking up, Polydeuces appeared before her. Strings of white light swirled around her for a moment, seeping into her skin and healing some of the bruises and sore spots from the blows she'd taken. Akihiko had summoned his Persona to heal her with Dia. A smile came across her face, "Thanks, Senpai!"

"Garu!" Fuuka suddenly announced, "It's weak against Garu now! We need wind!"

"I've got it covered!" Minako replied. Pulling out her Evoker, the brunette lifted it to her temple and fired, dragging out her Persona, Angel. "Garu," she requested, the word rolling off her tongue. Angel beat her wings, stirring up a wind, and with a touch of magic, sent it hurling at the Shadow, effectively dealing some damage and knocking it down.

"All right! Let's do this!" Junpei shouted.

"Right! Let's go!" Minako agreed.

The three charged in, assaulting the tall one first. The round one would be easier to deal with since they only had to deal physical blows to it. When the two were back up, the round one changed its weakness again, but the Emperor was angry, and decided to attack instead.

"Fuuka, what's your call?" Minako said, requesting that she find the weakness again.

Fuuka was one step a head of them, already searching for it's next weakness as the taller one went in for an attack. "It's… It's got multiple weaknesses again!"

"Akihiko, Junpei," Minako called, "Both of you attack it. Make it dizy so it cant get back up as quickly. As soon as it's down, I want you to beat the heck out of it!" Pulling a medium sized green gem from her bag, Minako chucked it at the Shadow – on contact it shattered, breaking into a thousand pieces and letting a Garula spell erupt around it, spinning it, and knocking it over.

Needless to say it took several knock-downs and All-Out Attacks to get at least one of them out of the picture for good. Fuuka was constantly being requested to check and re-check the Shadows weakness as they changed more and more frequently. Eventually it got so bad that they had to start guessing and testing their luck. The round Empress Shadow was the first to fall, and the Emperor soon after it. Minako, Junpei, and Akihiko were battered and bruised, left worse for wear by the end of it all, but came out alive and victorious.

Sighing, Minako wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of one hand, the other hand holding her Naginata weakly. The battle had been long and tiring. Glancing over at Junpei, they two of them grinned and high-fived before turning and walking with Akihiko to rejoin the group.

With the battle over, Fuuka released her Persona, looking around for a moment. "Are there more of them…?" she asked.

"Don't worry," Akihiko assured her, "It's over."

Natsuki was staring up at Fuuka, and amazed and shocked look in her eyes, "Fuuka… you…"

Immediately Fuuka turned to face Natsuki, kneeling down yet again so she was at Natsuki's level. "A-Are you all right…?" she asked.

"Yeah…" Natsuki answered hesitantly.

"Thank goodness…" Fuuka sighed, relieved. She swayed for a second before falling unconscious, hitting the ground with a _thump_.

"Fuuka?" Natsuki called worriedly – afraid for the worst.

"It's all right," Mitsuru said, standing next to Yukari by the other two girls. "she's just exhausted."

"Fuuka…" the brunette called again, "Fuuka, I…"

"Where did these two Shadows come from?" Akihiko asked, turning to look at Mitsuru and Yukari.

Mitsuru met his gaze and crossed her arms over her chest. "From somewhere outside of Tartrus, just like before…"

"I see…" Akihiko mused, lapsing into thought.

"Um," Yukari interjected, "What are we gonna do about Natsuki? She saw the Dark Hour, and the Shadows…"

Akihiko merely shook his head, "Don't worry, she's not like us, so she won't remember any of it." He glanced over to the girl they spoke of, "The good news is, she didn't fall victim to the Shadows, even though she obviously heard their call. She should be safe from now on."

"But that means she'll forget Fuuka saved her life, right?" Yukari asked. "That doesn't seem fair…"

Yukari had a point.

"Actually," Mitsuru interrupted, "I don't think it'll matter."

"I'm sorry, Fuuka…" Natsuki sobbed next to where Fuuka lay unconscious, "I'm so sorry…"

Mitsuru smiled a bit at the sight, "I think she's learned her lesson."

"Let's get everyone back to the dorm and get some rest," Minako suggested.

Akihiko picked up Fuuka in his arms, and Yukari and Minako helped the crying Natsuki walk back to the dorm. Mitsuru walked her busted Motorcycle, and Junpei… well he just walked along behind them with his hands in his pockets.

By time they got to the dorm, Minako only had enough energy left to take a shower to wash off the sweat and grime, dry off, change into her pajamas, and then trudge back to her room. She face-planted into her bed, and passed out right there, still on top of the covers.

_(6/9) __TUESDAY_

Minako yawned loudly as she approached the school gates that morning. Though she had passed out quickly last night, she was still tired when morning came to awaken her for school. There just never seemed to be enough hours in the day.

"Good morning!" Yukari's voice called from behind as she jogged to catch up with Minako.

"Morning…" Minako answered sluggishly.

"You seem tired," the archer pointed out.

"Nah, you're just too energetic," the Naginata-wielder retorted.

Yukari laughed, "I'm used to it thanks to Archery," she explained. They were silent a moment, Minako because she was tired, and Yukari because she didn't know what else to say. "Hey," she began as they drew closer to the front doors, "I was thinking…Do you think Mitsuru-senpai saved Fuuka because it was the right thing to do? Or was it just because she's a Persona-user and we need her…?"

Minako thought about it a moment, "I think Mitsuru saved her for the right reasons," she answered after a gap of silence in their conversation.

Yet, Yukari still didn't look very convinced. "I-I guess so…Well, whether or not she joins us is up to her." She sighed, shaking her head, "Sorry to bring this up out of the blue."

"Nah, don't worry about it," Minako replied. They two parted to go to their shoe lockers and then rejoined to head up to the classroom again. Since she was so tired from that whole incident the other night, Minako decided she'd take a nap during class. She could always get the notes she'd miss from someone else in the class later.

Aside from a dream of several clones of her friends taking over the school as a secret base to take over the world, it was a pretty great nap. She woke up before lunch, had something to eat. However, her stomach was bothering her a bit, and she still felt tired even after the nap. Minako decided to go visit the school nurse during lunch to see if he could help her get better before she got sick.

Opening the door at the far end of the hall, across from the library, Minako came face to face with Mr. Edogawa. "How can I help you?" he asked from his seat at a cluttered desk.

"I'm not feeling all that well, I was wondering if you'd have something that could help before I got sick with a fever or something," Minako explained.

"Mm hm hm hm …" He nodded his head, "Well now, what do we have here? You seem unwell. Is it a wound? A virus? A curse? Or is it love?"

"Eh?" Minako was beginning to wonder if he'd heard a single word she had just said.

"This is the perfect opportunity to try my new concoction…" he laughed a bit with a huge grin on his face, which was enough to unsettle the brunette in the doorway. He turned away form her, retrieving something from his desk. Facing her once more, the grin still on his lips, he held it out to her, "Here, try this… It includes bitter mugwort, poison carrot, henbane, jujube, rabbit's foot, etcetera, etcetera… Even Hakusan's finest alchemist would be astonished by the ingredients. I shall treat your illness right here and now." He stood, walking closer to her, trying to force the bottle into her hands. "Now, drink this… Come on… Drink up!"

The most bizarre smell that Minako had ever encountered in her life drifted up from the bottle's mouth. She wrinkled her nose, withdrawing from it. She was sure if the bottle was clear, she'd see some frighteningly multi-colored goo of a liquid with oozing bubbles and some possible signs of life inside. "Um… N-no thanks…"

"…What do you mean you wont drink it!" Mr. Edogawa complained, looking a bit upset, "Are you a coward! Even Algernon drank it. That normally quiet mouse went squeaking out of here with energy!"

Or he was running off to find some place to die.

Minako shook her head, "Do you have any… _normal_ medicine?"

It was then that Edogawa thought about it – and what he had been saying. He looked down at the bottle, and then sniffed at it a bit. Had he really not noticed the toxic fumes coming out of that thing? "I'm not sure it's safe to drink…but here, take this." He reached into the pocket of his coat, pulling another something out, "It's some old medicine I found lying around."

Minako held out her hand, and in it he placed a Me Patra Gem – or at least that's what Minako was calling them.

"Hm, if you'll excuse me, Saturn is calling…" Edogawa turned away form her then, trailing off to his cluttered desk once again.

On her way back to the classroom, Minako wondered if Edogawa was even trained to be a school nurse.

After school, Minako stretched for a long moment. It was for certain that they wouldn't be going to Tartrus that night – even if Mitsuru and Akihiko weren't there. Minako was just too darn tired to think of dealing with Shadows.

As she was getting up to leave, she ran into Yukari on her way out. "Oh, hey Yukari-chan," she greeted when they both paused by the door to let the other exit first.

"Oh, Minako…Heading home?" she asked, a smile on her face.

"Yeah," Minako answered, "Wanna go somewhere?"

The other brunette paused for a moment, giving the offer some thought. "Hmm… okay. I wasn't doing anything today, anyway."

"All right, let's go," Minako smiled.

Leaving the school, Minako and Yukari decided to head over to Paulownia mall. They loitered around Power Records, listening to different songs and seeing who could stand the volume the loudest before their ears started to go deaf. Afterwards they passed by the arcade, taking a peek inside and swapping jokes about finding Junpei spending all the money they found in Tartrus there. Crossing past the fountain, the two only glanced at the night club for a second, Minako telling Yukari about the old Monk she'd met in there.

Finally they came to Changall Café. Exchanging grins and a girlish laugh, the two entered, picking a table and had a seat. There was an awkward silence for a moment after they'd ordered their drinks, waiting for them to arrive.

Yukari fidgeted a bit in her seat, looking down at the table rather than at Minako. "U-Um, well… There's…something I need to say to you."

Minako cocked her head to the side, watching Yukari's movements with curious eyes. "What is it?" she asked.

"Um… You probably might not remember, but…" She seemed to have a really hard time spitting it out. Yukari met Minako's eyes for a second before drawing them away. This was more awkward than a mute trying to confess her love to someone. "Um…When you woke up in the hospital…You know, after the dorm was attacked by a Shadow and you discovered your Persona…" she explained, trying to keep her tone quiet so others wouldn't overhear. "You know how I said all those things to you right after you woke up? Like, 'you're the same as me,' and 'you're alone' and stuff about your parents…Um…I think that I might've been making assumptions about you. I mean, I lost my dad, but in your case it's both your parents…And even though things may seem the same, people react to them differently…"

But there's also the fact that Yukari still had her mother, Minako didn't. There was a big difference between losing a favored parent, as to losing both and becoming an Orphan.

Yukari slumped in her seat a bit, "But I ignored how you might've felt and forced my own opinions onto you. I've been worrying all this time that I might've said some unfair things to you that day…And I want to properly apologize for it. I'm sorry."

Minako was surprised at Yukari, having worried over that for such a long time. "I appreciate your consideration of my feelings like that, Yukari-chan. But you don't need to apologize. It's easy for people to jump the gun on some things like that. Besides, we didn't know each other as well back then, not like we do now."

The brunette across the table from her smiled a bit, "Thanks, Minako-chan." She was silent a moment, a look or relief on her face. Their drinks were served then, two Pheromone teas. Yukari waited for the waiter to walk away before she spoke again. "But… I still do sense something similar between us. You might not like it, since it's the fact that we're both missing parents…Still, I've never had anyone who could understand it around me before…It's different for everyone else at school. They have both their parents at home… They can complain about how they'll get yelled at if they come home late…I…When I hear stuff like that, I feel jealous. But I hate feeling that way, so I hide it…And because I can't tell anyone that, I feel distant…I felt lonely. So when I heard about you, I felt that you could save me from that…"

There was silence a moment after Yukari finished her rant of a complaint. It was only then that she seemed to realized what she'd actually done. "…Yikes! Sorry!" she apologized, "I'm being selfish again, I know. But, the fact that you're part of our group now makes me feel a lot better. I'm glad you joined us…" She smiled, laughing a bit then, "I'm just going around in circles with this pity party, aren't I? But… That's how I really feel."

The brunette smiled, "Well I'm glad that you were able to confide in me," she answered. Minako took a sip of her Pheromone tea before speaking again. "I mean, it means that were just that much closer now, right? I can understand you more now because you opened up to me."

"Not that we're going to talk about just this kind of stuff," Yukari pointed out.

Minako laughed, "I would hope not."

The two drank their tea, later paying for it. As they stepped out of the café, the air seemed a bit colder against the skin of their bare arms. "It's starting to get a little cold out," Yukari commented, "Let's go home."

"Good idea," Minako agreed.

Back at the dorm, Junpei greeted them. He seemed to be the only one home by the looks of things. "Oh, that's right," Yukari began, turning to Minako then, "Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai are going to the hospital to see Fuuka today. I wonder how she's doing…"

Minako shrugged, "We needed the use of her Persona a lot, so it might just be like it was with me and she's just tired is all. After all, she _was_ in Tartrus for over a week, even if it was just ten hours for her it's still a long time."

Yukari nodded her head in agreement as she started for the armchair adjacent to where Junpei was seated on the couch, "Yeah, I know what you mean. Oh, by the way… Ikutsuki-san told me that the antique shop in the Paulownia Mall is open now. Maybe we should go check it out sometime."

"Sounds cool," Minako answered. "Since they're not home I'm just going to head upstairs, do my homework, and go to bed. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"All right, night," Yukari answered.

"G'night, Minako-tan," Junpei called.

Doing just as she said she would, Minako headed up to her room and worked on her homework a bit before crawling into bed and going to sleep.

_(6/10) __WEDNESDAY_

"Good morning."

The next morning, Minako was caught my Mitsuru just outside the school gates.

"…You might like to know that Yamagishi and Moriyama are healing up well," she informed the brunette.

Minako smiled, "Well that's good to hear."

"Yes," she answered, "We'll need to invite Yamagishi to the dorm and explain what happened. We could definitely use her help."

"Yeah, she was a great help in that last battle," Minako agreed.

Mitsuru nodded, a slight smile twisting her lips. "Of course, whether she joins us or not is strictly up to her."

"Right," Minako answered. She was more than positive that Mitsuru wouldn't force Fuuka to join if she didn't want to. But at the very least she knew that she'd offer for Fuuka to stay at the dorm even if she refused just so they could make sure she was safe during the Dark Hour.

Parting ways at the shoe lockers, Minako changed her shoes and headed up to her classroom. That morning's class was with Mr. Ono, the samurai nut. As usual he wore that helm strapped to his head, which completely clashed with his suit. Minako was seriously wondering if he was balding under that helm though.

"Are we up to the Kamakura era yet? I guess not… Oh man, we haven't even reached the Nara era…" he complained, looking through the history book that they were supposed to follow in their lectures. "Well, let's get through it real quick, then. First, the Taika Reforms. They happened in the year 645. Just remember that," he insisted.

"But what were the reforms about?" one of the other students in the class asked.

"Huh? What were they about?" Mr. Ono echoed, "Oh, nothing important really. Later on, in 710, there was the Heijo-Kyo. That wraps it up for the Nara era."

Minako could see that this was just going to be a boring lecture about random dates with no real information and just Mr. Ono complaining about not being able to teach about Samurai yet. Covering a yawn with her hand, Minako folded her arms on her desk and decided that a nap would be a better waste of time than paying attention to a lecture she could read about in her history book when she studied.

As Minako left the classroom after school ended that day, she ran into Rio in the hall. "What's up, Minako," she called with a smile.

"Oh, hey Rio," Minako replied with a grin of her own.

"We have practice today. Are you going after this?" the captain asked.

"Sure," Minako answered, "I figured I'm about due for some tennis practice."

Rio laughed, "Yeah, it's been pretty dead," she answered, trying to bite back a sour tone to her voice. "How's Student Council and the Library Committee treating you?"

The brunette rolled her eyes, "If it weren't for Ms. Toriumi being such a nice teacher and all, I would swear she's trying to give me an ulcer with all these extra tasks she's dropping in my hands."

"I'm sure it's not that bad," Rio answered, earning a laugh from both the girls as they headed down the hall to go to the locker rooms.

If only Rio knew. Pile on some Dark Hour work at night, and Minako had one full schedule.

The two got changed into their P.E. uniforms and headed out to the field to get started with practice. The two started off with the usual stretching they did to buy some time to see if there was anyone else coming. Eventually they stopped with their stretching and sprints and started on practicing with a one on one match. Rio was still giving Minako some simple instruction and advice about her stance, the way she moved on the court, and how the swung her racket.

It went on for a good while before Rio decided to call it after Minako missed her third pass in a row. "Let's take a break," she offered with a smile, "Make sure to keep yourself hydrated, too."

"All right," Minako replied cheerfully. She headed over to where they'd put down the water bottles they'd brought out with them and picked hers up. Turning around as she opened the cap and took a drink, she saw Kenji, the kid from her class, walking up to Rio again.

"H-Hey there!" he called with a smile on his face.

"You again?" Rio asked, "What do you want now?"

"Umm…" Kenji hesitated for a moment, looking a bit nervous. It seemed to be then that he realized that the rest of the field was empty. "…Huh? Are you the only guys here?" he asked.

"If there's anybody else here, they must be ghosts," Rio retorted sarcastically.

Kenji made a face at her comment, clearly not finding it funny. "Would it kill you to stop being so sarcastic all the time? It really isnt cute at all."

Rio was silent a moment at his comment, giving him a sour look before brushing it off. "So, who are you looking for?"

"…Ms. Kanou," Kenji answered, "She's this club's advisor, right?"

Rio rolled her eyes, "Yeah, but she's never here. She doesn't care… She doesn't even know the rules of the game."

"Well a sophisticated woman like her wouldn't care much for children's games in any case," Kenji said in the absent teacher's defense.

"Children's games…?" Rio challenged, looking rather irritated at that comment.

Kenji took a step back, waving his hand in surrender, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Ack! Don't waste that pretty face of yours by getting all red like that."

Rio was caught off guard by that comment of her having a pretty face. "Y-You shouldn't say stuff if you don't mean it," she retorted.

"But man," Kenji began, as if he had said nothing at all, "Where could Ms. Kanou be? She wasn't in the Faculty Office either…"

"…No idea," Rio answered. Looking over her shoulder at Minako, she asked, "Do you know, Minako?"

Minako shrugged. It wasn't like she really knew, she'd only seen the teacher that one time when she'd joined the team. "Maybe she went home already," she suggested.

Kenji sighed, "Really? You think so, too? Aw, maaaaan. I'm so bummed I could just fall over and die right here.

"Why're you looking for her?" Minako asked. She pulled the water bottle to her lips before taking another drink from it.

"I got the tickets that Ms. Kanou wanted…" Kenji answered with a shrug.

Raising a brow, the brunette tipped her head to the side, "You like Ms. Kanou?" she asked.

Kenji seemed to jump a bit at Minako's question. "Huh? What, can't I just be nice to one of my teachers!" Of course, the blush that rose to Kenji's face stated that Minako had indeed hit the nail on the head.

Rio was silent a moment, frowning at the whole exchange between Minako and Kenji just now. "Why do you like her?" she asked.

"…Huh?" Kenji threw her a look, like he didn't believe she really had an interest in why Kenji liked that teacher. "You're such a kid, Rio-san…Listen up, okay? It's got nothing to do with logic or reason…Love is something that just happens, whether you want it or not!"

"It just happens…?" Rio echoed. Her brows furrowed as her frown seemed to deepen. Rio didn't seem to understand what the heck that was supposed to mean.

"But seriously," Kenji began, changing the subject, "Don't tell anybody about this, got it? I don't even want you and Minako-san talking about me! Okay!" Before anything more could be said, Kenji turned on his heel and ran off back towards the school.

"Love…It just happens to you?" Rio asked, this time looking at Minako.

"It looks that way," she answered. She really wouldn't know much herself since she didn't really, 'love' anyone.

"He doesn't make any sense at all…" Rio sighed, shaking her head. "It'll never 'just happen' to me…" She turned an upset expression in the direction Kenji had run off in, though the boy was already long gone by then.

Minako thought that maybe… just maybe… Rio had a crush on her friend Kenji.

"…Let's get back to practice," Rio suddenly said, turning to walk back to her side of the court. "C'mon, we cant let someone like him get to us! I'll round up the balls," Rio insisted with a smile on her face.

"All right!" Minako cheered. Putting the cap back on her water, Minako set it down and trotted back onto the field to resume practice.

The two of them continued with their one on one match with each other. Of course, Rio –being the more experienced player- easily beat Minako without much of a hassle. It was fine since Minako was able to learn some things from playing that game. She managed to find a way that was easier for her to move and did make some good improvement in her swings. When practice ended, Minako helped clean up, and then the two parted ways to head home.

"S'up, dude?" Junpei greeted when Minako made it back to the dorm. He was sprawled across the couch, playing a video game on his handheld gaming system. "They're at the hospital again, visiting Fuuka…So, I guess we're not going anywhere tonight," he informed when he saw Minako looking around. "Man, I wonder when she'll be ready to come along…

That would explain why the lobby seemed so empty.

Yukari didn't seem all that pleased to hear Junpei's comment about Fuuka. "Hey, don't just assume that she'll be joining us…I hope they're not trying to push her into it…"

"I'm sure they're just making sure she's getting better," Minako said, "After all, we're the ones responsible for finding her. I'm sure you'd be checking up on her at the hospital every day if you could too."

Since there wasn't much to do, Minako ended up working on her homework a bit. She took a shower to not only clean herself off from Tennis practice, but to help clear her head so she could relax and think better. Once she was sure her hair was mostly dry, she decided to go to bed.

_(6/11) __THRUSDAY_

The day slowly dragged by. Minako aced a pop quiz that had been given out a few days ago that had been returned that day. Of course, most the students who had seen her score on exams assumed she had gotten good marks on the test anyway. She'd been wondering to her self what she'd do after school when the final bell ran when her phone went off not even a minuet later. She pulled out her phone from her bag and flipped the old model open.

The screen informed her that she had received a message from Akihiko. 'Fuuka is being released from the hospital,' it read, 'We'll talk to her this evening. Come back to the command room as soon as you get back.'

Well, since she had to head back to the command room as soon as she went back to the dorm, Minako figured she'd walk home with Junpei. "Junpei-kun!" she called cheerfully as she hopped up and ran over, her bag already in hand.

"Hey, are you on your way home?" Junpei asked.

"Yeah, you doing anything?"

"Nah, let's go do something."

With that simple easy conversation, Minako and Junpei headed out of the classroom. "Did you get that text from Akihiko-senpai?" Minako asked as they swapped their shoes out and headed out the front door.

"You mean about Fuuka-chan getting released today? Yeah," Junpei was all grins, his excitement rolling of him in energetic waves. "I can't wait! I hope she joins us – no joke!"

"It'd be nice if she did, we could use her abilities," Minako agreed with a smile, "But if she's not comfortable then we have to at least look out for her here at school since she was getting bullied and all."

"Right!" Junpei nodded.

They hopped on the monorail and headed to the Iwatodai station. Crossing the street, the two trotted into Wild-duck Burger and ordered some food. Once they'd gotten it, the two headed off to a table. They chatted as they ate, talking about things like the pop quiz, homework, things that happened on other days after school. Minako told him about how Tennis was going, as well as what the Library Committee was like.

"Man the fries here are always so soggy…" Junpei laughed after a while when they'd paused in their conversation to eat.

Minako laughed, "Yeah, but they're still good, so I guess that's what counts, right?"

"True," Junpei answered.

After the two of them finished their meal, they decided to head back to the dorm. Of course, they chatted the whole way back as well. Taking turns to wait for each other to drop their bags off in their room upon returning to the dorm, they headed up to the command room on the fourth floor. When they entered, the Chairman and Fuuka were sitting there, along with the others. Junpei took an open seat next to Akihiko, and Minako sat next to Fuuka, with Yukari on the other side. Fuuka seemed rather nervous, and was standing in front of her seat, rather than actually sitting down.

"You're Fuuka Yamagishi, right?" the Chairman asked.

"Y-Yes," Fuuka answered a bit nervously.

Ikustuki chucked a bit, "Relax, there's no need to be nervous," he assured, "Why don't you have a seat?"

"Oh, thank you…" Fuuka replied. Smoothing out her skirt a bit, she took a seat. She still looked a bit nervous, but at least she wasn't standing like an oddball now.

"Everyone, you did an excellent job uncovering the truth," Ikutsuki complimented. "I also wanted to let you know…The three girls have all regained consciousness."

Fuuka sighed, "What a relief…"

"From what I understand, they each came to school around midnight and waited for the security guard to leave," the Chairman explained, "They were attacked by Shadows by the gate, as the Dark Hour began…However, the facts became twisted because of rumors concerning a ghost story."

"I knew right from the beginning that it wasn't a ghost," Yukari stated confidently.

"More like you didn't _want_ to believe it was because of a ghost," Minako laughed. Yukari threw her a look, but didn't go any further than that.

"It's all my fault…" Fuuka sighed.

"…Are you kidding!" Yukari spoke up, "You were the victim!"

Fuuka didn't seem to care if she was the victim or not, "But, I made so many people worry…"

"Hey, don't think like that…" Yukari replied.

"We could have lost that fight if you weren't there," Mitsuru pointed out, "You saved our lives, you should feel good about yourself. You have a special power that you can use to help others."

Fuuka's face took on a surprised expression then, "A special power…?"

"We call it 'Persona,'" Mitsuru explained. "You could be a tremendous help to us. Will you lend us your strength?"

"Are you asking me to join you?" Fuuka reworded, making sure she was hearing this right.

Mitsuru nodded, "That's correct."

"Mitsuru-senpai…" Fuuka murmured.

"I think you'd make a good addition to the team, too," Akihiko voiced.

"Akihiko-senpai…" Again Fuuka was muttering.

Yukari felt the need to speak up again, "You know, we're not trying to pressure you, so if you need some time to think about it…"

"I'll do it," Fuuka suddenly stated with a determined tone of voice. "I'll help you!"

"A-Are you sure!" Yukari asked, a bit surprised by her sudden agreement to join S.E.E.S. "If you join, you'll have to live here…"

"That's fine," Fuuka answered, looking off to the side, avoiding Yukari's gaze, "I'd rather live here than at home anyway…"

"We really appreciate this," Mitsuru voiced. "We'll have the school talk to your parents to resolve any issues."

"Thank you," Fuuka replied, a small smile on her face.

"…Wait a minuet," Yukari spoke up, "Aren't we dragging her into this a bit fast?"

"Uh, it's okay," Fuuka insisted, "Really… I mean, it'll be nice to have two other girls in my grade around, too…"

Minako flashed a bright smile when Fuuka glanced her way, "Let's be friends."

"Huh…?" Fuuka looked a but surprised, but the smile never fell from her face, "Th-Thanks…"

"If there's ever anything you don't understand, feel free to ask us," Yukari insisted.

"Now, then…" Ikutsuki spoke up, dragging the conversation back to the serious matter. "Those special Shadows showed up again. We still don't know where they're coming from. But, Akihiko is right about one thing…Their appearances seem to coincide with the full moon. We'll take that into consideration from now on."

"So they're kinda like werewolves then, huh?" Junpei asked, a fighter's smile on his lips.

Akihiko had his fighter's smile on, too, "It's a big advantage for us to know when to expect them. Now on the day of the fight, we'll be ready to get in the ring."

Yukari sighed, slouching in her seat a bit. She didn't like how Junpei and Akihiko were looking at this whole fighting deal like it was some sort of fun game.

"It'll be easier to prepare form now on, so it's a good thing Senpai noticed the pattern," Minako replied.

The meeting wrapped up then without much of a problem and everyone separated then. Mitsuru and Akihiko left to walk Fuuka home while the Chairman hung out around the lounge with Yukari and Junpei. Since they weren't going to head to Tartrus that night, Minako decided to head to Paulownia Mall and see what there was she could do.

As soon as she entered she spotted Mr. Tanaka standing off to the side like he always was. With a sickeningly sweet smile on her face, she trotted over, "Good evening, Mr. Tanaka," she called.

"Oh, it's you, Minako," he replied.

Minako frowned. It was creepy to have him so familiar with her name like that. "At least address me with 'chan' at the end if you're going to call me by my first name. Other wise other people might think you're a pedophile by being to familiar with a high school student."

Tanaka frowned at her comment, but said nothing about it. "Are you free at the moment?" he asked instead, "If so, I can teach you a valuable life lesson…Free of charge, of course."

"Sure," Minako replied, smile renewed on her face.

"My, you're enthusiastic…" Tanaka replied. He seemed pleased to see that she was willing to listen to what he had to say. "My schedule is so packed I don't even have time to breathe. I don't usually deal with your average Joe, you know. If your dormant potential turns out to be a mistake in my judgement, it's an instant goodbye to you."

Minako rolled her eyes. Yeah, she should have known not to expect much from him.

"All right," Mr. Tanaka began again, "Let's add a new word to our vocabulary today. Repeat after me!" he paused to clear his throat, "'Placebo'! The stress is on the middle syllable.

The brunette cleared her throat, mimicking him, "Placebo!"

"Splendid!" Tanaka complimented with a smile, "It's so charming how you say it. A placebo is a 'pretend' pill. Basically it's medicine to ease your mind. It's a miracle breakthrough that will make you feel fabulous! Enjoy a relaxing drive while taking in the beautiful scenery! Our incredible supplement will help you get the most out of life! These are part of our unique line of products."

Minako raised a brow at him, "Is that legal?" she asked.

Tanaka seemed pleased to answer that question, "Oh yes, of course. I'm free to sell them as I please! We may not be providing tangible benefits, but we do provide peace of mind. People will pay handsomely for that, you know. Take emergency supplies for example… People feel safe just because they have them. But, it's merely a false sense of security."

"Huh, I never thought about it that way before…" Minako answered.

"…That's enough for today's lesson. You can pay me back when you make your first million," Tanaka said.

Minako frowned again. Yeah, like she was ever going to pay someone like _him_ back for something she didn't _owe_.

"Have you been keeping your promise?" Tanaka replied, his voice a bit quieter now, "You didn't tell anyone, did you? If you go back on your word I'll upload your picture to an internet dating site for former prison inmates!"

Yup, and that day she'd sue him for illegal distribution of personal information and her image. She watched him walk off before turning to leave and head back to the dorm. She could have gotten better advise from the drunk monk in the night club.

_(6/12) __FRIDAY_

"Mornin'," Yukari called as the two met up in the shoe lockers that morning before school.

"Morning, Yukari-chan," Minako replied.

"Hey, Minako… What do you think about Fuuka?" She asked.

Minako smiled, "She's very helpful."

"You think so?" Yukari asked, "I mean, yeah, her Persona ability is great n' all, but… Doesn't it kinda seem like she was forced into joining us? I hope she'll be okay…"

Minako laughed, walking with Yukari to the stairs, "I think you're reading into this whole thing too much, Yukari. We were both right there, and I think Fuuka made the choice on her own _because_ she wanted to help us. If you're worried about it, the best we can do is work our hardest to look out for her."

"Right…" Yukari answered, though she didn't look all that convinced.

After school, Minako decided it was time she paid a visit to the Student Council Room. Gathering her things and stepping out of the classroom, Minako headed across the hall to the Council Room. When she entered, she saw Hidetoshi talking to a teacher.

"All right, Hidetoshi, I'm counting on you… for both our sakes," the teacher said with a stern face.

"…Yes, sir," Hidetoshi answered in all seriousness.

Passing the boy, and then passing Minako, the teacher left the room.

"Oh, Minako-san…" Chihiro said, catching the brunette's attention.

It was only then that Minako noticed there were a few other students in the room, standing off to the side, who had seen the whole thing.

"…Hey," one of those students spoke up, "What did he mean by 'for both our sakes'? What's he talking about?"

"He just wants to create a better school environment," Hidetoshi answered, "so he simply asked for help from an apt student. Just like how the President asked Minako-kun to join Student Council."

"What?" The student council member snapped, glaring at Hidetoshi, "You cant decide something like that without the President's permission!"

"You shouldn't fight," Minako spoke up.

"Aren't you gonna say anything, Minako!" the boy retorted, trying to get her opinion on the subject. The other student council members seemed to be getting angry. "So is he gonna spy on the boys' bathroom now? Man, everybody's on that suspect list of his! Even us!"

"Don't exaggerate…" Hidetoshi retorted, "I'm a member of the Disciplinary Committee, not the police…Look, you have two choices. Either help and prove you're trustworthy, or refuse and raise suspicion. We sure have to deal with a lot of B.S. around here, don't we, Minako-kun?"

Minako smile a bit to see that Hidetoshi was counting on her. If he thought of her as that trustworthy of a person, Minako would be more than happy to lend a hand.

"Now, if you'd excuse me," Hidetoshi began. Stepping away from the angry male who had been yelling at him before, Hidetoshi headed for the door.

Apparently, the student wasn't done with him, "H-Hey! Don't ignore me! You teacher's pet!" The boy turned and chased after Hidetoshi to probably chew him out some more.

"It's not good for Student Council members to be fighting like this, right…?" Chihiro asked, standing next to Minako, looking rather worried. "I-I better go tell the president…!"

And then Chihiro ran off on her own.

Since it seemed there wasn't really going to be a meeting that day, Minako decided to just head back to the dorm. She loitered about the stations as she went, taking her time. There were some kids playing about in the wide courtyard in front of Port Island Station. They were all laughing and playing with a round, red, rubber ball. Probably because the playground at their school or at a nearby park was being hogged by older children.

One of the kids kicked the ball too high, and it bounced off one of the pillars in the courtyard, bouncing off into the back alley. The kids all stopped a ways away from the mouth to the alley, too scared of what monsters would be inside to go in to get their ball back.

Since it was still daylight out, Minako figured it would be fine to just run in there really quick, grab the ball, and head out. The bad crowd didn't show up until the sun went down anyway, right? "I'll get it for you guys," she offered as she passed by them into the back alley.

Looking around, it seemed just as it had before when she, Junpei, and Yukari had all gone. Of course, it was still light out and there seemed to be no one around. So Minako wandered over by the stairs that lead down to the bar in that back alley, where the ball had rolled to a stop. Kneeling, she picked it up with a smile and tossed it up once. After catching it, she turned around to head back out and return the ball to the kids. She'd gotten as far as a few steps past the three stairs off to the side that lead to the Mahjong place.

"Well look what we got here," A vaguely familiar voice called. Here came the two punks from before, as well as a third goon to the bunch, walking into the back alley and blocking Minako's path. "You get lost again, girly?"

Minako frowned, putting on her best brave face, "I'm not lost," she answered, "I'm just getting this ball for the kids out there. I was just leaving."

The punk with the slicked back hair grabbed the ball, throwing it over his shoulder. It bounced out of the alley to where the kids were probably still waiting. "There, they got the ball. But you," he began, scowl on his face, "We got some business with you, don't you think?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Minako retorted.

"Don't think we've forgotten you and that bitch you and Goatee came in with a few nights ago," the Punk said. "You may not be her, but we do gotta repay _someone_ for what that Shinjiro punk did to humiliate us…"


	11. Everyone's Suddenly So Violent

_Long time no see, guys! QAQ I'm sorry I took so long. First I got distracted by work hardcore, then I got lost in a bunch of random stuff that came up - not to mention I went on a trip for about a week to go visit my bf. I meant to update sooner, but then when I finally sat down to write, everyone else needed me to do something irl. =A=;;_

**_Akihiko:_**_ Well, at least you didn't forget about everyone completely._

_Yeah, but I still feel bad for not posting for so long. Of course, I somewhat assumed I'd be gone for a while - which was why I left such a cliffhanger, but still. _

**_Akihiko: _**_Chapters may come a bit slower, but they'll still come - hopefully at least once a month._

_Right! I'll be doing my best to keep on track, so please don't worry. Also, I would like to put a new rule; I will not even start the next chapter until I get at **least** 5 reviews per new chapter. So until I get 5 reviews for this chapter, I wont start writing chapter 12, and same when chapter 12 comes out and so on. I need to know how I'm doing, what you like and don't like, and if you all have any suggestions or ideas you would like to see. I'm writing it for you all, after all._

**_Akihiko:_**_ So without further procrastinations, please enjoy the next chapter you've all been waiting for._

* * *

Minako backed up towards the small stair by the Mahjong place and took those few steps up. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. What was she going to do? This was a bad situation. Who would have thought they'd show up again during the daylight hours? It was just to go retrieve a ball, she wasn't really doing anything bad this time. "Look, I don't want any trouble – I was seriously just about to leave."

"And I'm telling you that we got business with you, so you're not going anywhere," the punk retorted. His movements mirrored hers, staying just in place to keep her from getting that opening to spring past him and out of the alley. If she got out of the alley, then there was no catching her. The security guards would get in the way, the cops could show up – things would get messy. He took the first step up a grin on his face, his mind reeling with ideas of what he could do to her to 'make up' for the bullshit that had gone down before.

Though Minako didn't like the idea of fighting anything aside from Shadows, she was really left with no choice. Even if it was just enough to get past the punks and out to where there was a crowd, it would be worth it. She couldn't expect anyone to come saving her this time. The second the punk with the slicked back hair took that first step up she swung her bag at him as hard as she could, smashing it into his face and catching him off guard. As he grabbed the hand rail to keep from falling, the brunette brought the side of her bag down on his hand, making him let go. Lifting her leg she kicked him, shoving him back to fall on his friends behind him.

Turning on her heel, Minako turned to jump off the loading dock. As soon as her feet touched the ground though, one of the three punks who'd fallen grabbed her ankle. Minako shrieked as she fell, scraping her knee and the palms of her hands in the process. She rolled to her side and kicked at the hand, but the guy wouldn't let go. So as he started to get up on his hands and knees, Minako instead shoved her foot right in his face.

Yeah, then he let go.

Jumping to her feet, Minako didn't care if she left her school bag behind. They could have her cell phone, her wallet, and all her school crap – she just wanted to get the fuck out of there. Unfortunately the time it took to get her ankle free of the third guy's grip was too long. Just as she got up, the first punk was in her way…and his fist was in her stomach. Minako felt the air leave her lungs and she was left gasping and coughing as she fell to her knees, her arms instinctively crossing over her stomach.

"Fuckin' bitch," the Punk spat. "You really thought you could get away with some cheep shit like that?"

Minako was hoping they'd just beat the crap out of her, take what money was in her wallet and go – it would be so much better than the horrible thoughts that were haunting the back of her mind. That 'worse case scenario' would be more like 'reason for suicide' if it were to really happen.

The brunette yelped as one of the three punks grabbed her by the hair and dragged her up to her feet. "Get the fuck up, dumbass," he laughed. "You've got a lot to make up for, ya hear?"

"Yeah, that stunt you pulled just now wasn't very nice," the brunet punk contributed.

Rather than listening to their threats, Minako was looking at the entrance to the alleyway, hoping that someone would pass by and see what was going on and get some help…. Or maybe she'd just see her chance to call for help.

Hell, she was hoping that maybe those kids had run off to go get help. It was a long shot, but right now she needed the hopeful ray of light.

And then there it came in a beanie and burgundy coat.

He'd stopped at the alleyway, looking like he was about to turn and leave at the sight of the three punks about to start some shit with someone – but then he seemed to actually see Minako in the middle of it all. "What the hell are you doing?" he growled as he approached.

"Ah, shit," the brunette grumbled, "It's Shinjiro."

The punk with the slicked back hair stiffened a moment before turning to look at said male. He grit his teeth, probably weighing his chances of winning in a fight, before turning back to his two friends. "Fuck it," he growled, "You got lucky this time, bitch. Let's get out of here." Trying to make his retreat look cool, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and left the alley through the other end, his two lackeys following behind him.

Minako had never been so relieved in her life. "S-Senpai… thank—"

"Are you some kind of idiot?" Shinjiro interrupted, a scowl on his face, "I thought I told you not to come here again."

"I-I was…" Minako began, brushing a few strands of her fallen brown tresses out of her face, "I was just trying to get the ball back for some kids who had been playing…I thought it'd be okay since it was still daylight out…"

Shinjiro sighed, shaking his head. "Doesn't matter what time it is – just don't come here, ya hear me? This is a bad place. What do you think would have happened if I hadn't shown up?"

The brunette shuddered, hugging herself. "I'm sorry…but… thank you, so much.."

"What happened to your knee?"

Minako looked at Shinjiro rather confused, "Huh?" Glancing down, it appeared she'd scraped her knee worse than she'd thought. In the panic of the situation she must not have noticed. It wasn't too terrible bad, but the blood was starting to stain her socks. It would be best for her to hurry home, clean it up, and bandage it. "Oh… I fell while… trying to get away…"

He was suddenly grabbing her by the forearm, towing her over to the ledge of the loading dock, and had her sit. Without a single word, he pulled out a handkerchief from his coat pocket and folded it into something like a makeshift bandage, and tied it around her knee. "When you get home, make sure to clean it and dress it." Pushing her bag into her scrapped hands, he stepped away. "Now get out of here," he ordered before turning his back to her and walking out in the same direction the punks had.

The brunette watched Shinjiro walk off…that was…until he looked back to make sure she was actually leaving the alley. Then Minako was jumping up to her feet and hurrying out towards Port Island Station. On the monorail towards Iwatodai station, Minako stared blankly out the window, watching as the images of the outside scenery pass with a slight blur. If what had just happened hadnt shaken her, she wouldn't consider herself human. That Senpai had really saved her hide back there, Minako was amazed why he even felt the need to help her, but she was thankful.

Looking down at her knee and the handkerchief that covered the bad scrape, Minako's gaze softened. She'd have to find a way to make it up to him, to thank him…that kind Senpai.

"…S'up dude?" Junpei called automatically as Minako walked in through the front door of the dorm. He hadn't even looked up from the game in his hands, "They're getting Fuuka's room ready on the third floor. But, no guys allowed… It's cool though… I'm just glad she's coming. She'll be here tomorrow, ya know." He then seemed to look up from the game then, and saw Minako for the first time as she stood in the doorway, listening to what Junpei had been saying. "Holy shi—Minako, what happened?"

Akihiko looked up then from his seat, glancing over his shoulder to take a look from Junpei's reaction. Both boy's were suddenly on their feet and rushing over.

Minako obviously knew that she didn't look the best… especially with what had just happened. One of her socks were bloody, her shirt was dirty and un-tucked, and her bow was coming undone because if she tightened it, she'd get blood on it from her scraped palms. "Oh… um…I'm okay, just… a little mishap is all, it's fine, really," she insisted, waving her hands to dismiss the subject…though that might not have been the best decision.

"What happened to your hands?" Akihiko asked, gently grabbing her wrist to look at the scrapes. They didn't seem too bad, just some minor skin loss.

"And your knee," Junpei pointed out.

"I just need to disinfect them and bandage them is all," Minako replied, "It's nothing worse than what happens at Tartrus, guys."

Junpei made a face, "Yeah, but we're able to – you know – heal ourselves from the damage we get from Shadows. People are totally different."

"I'll go get the first aid kit," Akihiko interrupted, "Minako, go upstairs and take a shower, get cleaned off. When you're done, come back down and we'll bandage those up."

Minako nodded her head, "Okay, Akihiko-senpai…" It was better to just go along with it and do as she was told than to refuse and only worry them more.

The shower was nice, the hot water releasing the tension in her muscles as she cleaned herself off. Of course, she'd brought the handkerchief with her so that she could make sure to clean the blood off of that before it stained. When she was done she changed into a pair shorts and a t-shirt; normally what she'd wear on laundry day, and headed downstairs.

Not even a second after she was down on the first floor, Akihiko had her seated and was applying disinfectant on her knee. "So what happened?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'd like to know how you go scraped up too," Junpei voiced from behind Akihiko. He was seated at the table, sitting backwards in the chair with is arms crossed over the back of it.

"On my way home there were some kids playing by Port Island Station," Minako explained, wincing a bit at the sting of the disinfectant against the raw skin of her knee. "Their ball got knocked into the back alley, so since it wasn't dark, I thought it'd be fine if I just ran in really quick, grab the ball, and then run back out…"

Junpei groaned, slouching in his seat, "Minakoooo."

"That was a pretty good idea, but it's better to think that it's never safe back there," Akihiko replied.

Minako sighed, "Yeah, I found that out the hard way…I ended up running into three of the guys from before. I would have done better with my Naginata with me… but thankfully Shinjiro-senpai showed up and saved me in time…not that it was intentional of course…"

Even Akihiko paused then, looking up to catch Minako's gaze. "Shinji?" He asked, as if checking to see if he'd heard Minako correctly.

The brunette looked confused for a second, "Hm? Yeah, Shinjiro-senpai… he was walking past and saw what was going on and came to help me. Oh, that reminds me, I need to return his handkerchief once it's dried." Minako had it hanging over the back of the chair in her room, "Do you think you could help me get it to him, Senpai?"

Akihiko chuckled, "Yeah, I'll help you get it back to him," he answered. He finished putting the bandage over her scrapped knee and then asked for one of her hands so he could disinfect the scrapes there.

Minako frowned a bit, "Y-You know I can do this myself, right?"

"I'm sure you could, but this gave us the opportunity to ask you what happened," the boxer answered. "It's not like it's that big of a deal anyway. We're part of the same team, so we've got to look out for each other. Things like this are normal."

"You'd do the same for us, right?" Junpei laughed.

Minako giggled a bit, "All right, fair enough."

Since the scrapes on her hands weren't as bad, Akihiko just put a simple band-aid over each patch of raw skin after disinfecting them. Once clean up was finished and the first-said kit put away, Minako thanked the two and headed up to her room. She worked on some homework, careful with her hands so as to not irritate the scrapes under the band-aids. She studied for a few hours before deciding to crawl into bed and go to sleep.

Somewhere in the middle of the night – just as the Dark Hour began, Minako awakened from her half-asleep state to the feeling of someone else in her room. Rubbing her eyes a bit, Minako sat up and looked over to see none other than that adorable little boy standing beside her bed.

"You've prevailed yet again," the boy said, a soft smile on his face. "Do you remember what I said before? About everything coming to an end?"

Minako nodded her head slowly, "Yes, I remember that."

"Well," the boy blinked those bright blue eyes of his, "I recalled something else…I'm fairly sure that the end is inevitable. But, it's funny… It doesn't seem so certain, considering the vast potential within you."

"Within me?" Minako echoed, looking rather puzzled.

The boy nodded his head, "As a matter of fact, your powers seems to have changed quite a bit." He was silent a moment before taking a few steps closet. Placing his hands on the bed, the boy leaned closer, curious blue eyes looking up at her, "Hey, if you don't mind, can I be your friend? I'm very curious about you… Is that okay?"

The brunette laughed a bit, giving him a small smile as she reached out a hand to ruffle his hair, "Aren't we friends already?" she asked.

A laugh came from the boy then, a smile sprouting on his lips once more, "you're right, I really didn't need to bring it up, did I? After all, I've been with you from the beginning…"

"Well then, what am I supposed to call you?" Minako asked, "You've yet to tell me your name."

He blinked a few times in silence, a look of surprise on his face. "My name is…Pharos," his lips curled into a slight smile, "You may call me that if you wish."

Minako smiled back at him, "Okay, then, Pharos. I'm Minako."

Pharos giggled, "I already know your name."

"Oh, well I guess that's true," Minako laughed. He'd probably known it since that first day when she'd signed the contract.

"It's getting late, so I'll go now," Pharos said, "I'm already looking forward to our next meeting."

"Come back any time, Pharos," Minako replied.

Pharos smiled at that, "Bye-bye."

"Bye-bye."

And then he was gone…

_(6/13) __SATURDAY_

"Good morning, Arisato," Mitsuru called, catching Minako before she could enter through the front doors of the school.

"Oh, good morning, Mitsuru-senpai," Minako greeted back, pausing to open the door for her.

Mitsuru smiled a bit at that before stepping inside, Minako following after her. "Yamagishi will be living in the dorm with us. And starting tonight, she'll be providing us with support during battle. So, now I can rejoin the front line."

Minako smiled brightly, "That's good! You're reliable – it'll be great to have you with us up there."

"Yes," Mitsuru agreed, nodding her head, "you can count on me. Even though I'm a bit out of practice, I will soon return to my prior form."

Parting ways there, Mitsuru headed off to the Faculty Office for some business she had to attend to. Minako on the other hand headed up to her class for a long day of a boring lesson. When classes were over, Minako decided she'd pay the old couple a visit for lack of anything better to do.

When she entered the store, the atmosphere seemed rather heavy, which made her worry. Bunkichi was standing in the back by the register, his wife beside him. He'd looked over for a moment before returning his gaze to the old woman, "…Dear, Minako-chan is here. So, would you please cheer up…?" he asked.

Mitsuko looked as if she had been crying, drying her eyes with a handkerchief, "I understand their reasoning…" she murmured, "but…But if… if that tree is gone…" She shook her head, biting back tears, "If that tree is removed, I feel like the memory of my son will vanish with it…"

"You're worrying too much," Minako said softly as she approached the counter they were behind. "I'm sure things will be fine."

The old woman only shook her head, "…You'll understand once you've been a parent, Minako-chan. All parents think about their children. For me, that tree represents my son, it's something to remember him by…"

Bunkichi sighed, looking to Minako then as he spoke, "…Apparently, the rumor was true… They really are going to cut down the Persimmon tree…So, we went to the school to say goodbye. But, that just reminded Mitsuko of our son's death…"

"It'll be okay," Minako replied.

"See, dear," Bunkichi insisted, turning back to his wife, "That's exactly what I said! If you keep crying all the time, then what will your admirers think? Right, Minako-chan?" He winked at the brunette, a smile on his wrinkled face.

"Right!" Minako answered, a smile on her own lips.

Slowly, a small smile returned to Mitsuko's face, "Thank you."

Minako looked through their selection for a while, speaking with the two about what was a good read and where certain genres were. The brunette managed to find another good book that caught her interest and ended up buying it. Eventually it got dark, and Minako frowned, "Looks like I should head back to the dorm…" she mused.

"Stop by any time," Bunkichi said, patting her on the shoulder before she headed out the door. "My wife feels like she's back in her days in a girls' high school whenever you're around. And of course, I'm always happy to see a looker." He chucked a bit, "Here, take this for when you get hungry." He pressed a fried bread into her hand.

"Thank you," Minako answered.

Just as she entered the dorm's lounge, Minako's phone went off. Flipping the old model open, the girl raised the receiver to her ear, "Hello?"

"Hello?" the familiar silky smooth voice called back, "This is Theodore. I sense intense power deep within Tartrus. It seems a path that was blocked is now open…Please be careful…Have a nice day."

As soon as the call came, it was over. Minako looked at the screen of her cellphone. It displayed the time of the call, but no number from where the call had come from. Well, she supposed it was just one of those oddities of the Velvet Room.

"…Hi, how was your day?"

Minako looked over to see Fuuka's smiling face looking over the back of the couch closest to the door. "Oh, hi, Fuuka-chan," Minako answered.

"Um, since I'll be substituting for Mitsuru-senpai from now on…" she began, "…Just tell me if you want to go to Tartrus. I'll do my best."

"All right, thank you," Minako answered.

Since Minako had received the call from Theodore just a moment ago, Minako figured it would be a good idea to head to Tartrus that night. "Hey, guys, do you all feel up for Tartrus tonight?" She asked as she walked over to the group. They were all rather enthusiastic at the idea of going, many mentioning the need to train and get stronger.

Though Minako knew the 'training' part was just Akihiko's influence on Junpei really.

So off they each went to prepare for a night of training in Tartrus. They all met up in the lobby around eleven-thirty before heading off to the school to watch it turn into the massive frightening tower they all saw every night after joining S.E.E.S. Upon entering the bottom floor, Mitsuru turned to Minako.

"From now on, Yamagishi will support us," she reminded the brunette leader, "and I'll take part in the exploration. I've also decided that I'll allow you to select the members of your battle party."

"Battle party?" Minako asked. She had to choose the people who came with her? So then not everyone could come along like before? Well, she supposed that would be best, after all, Fuuka wouldn't be able to fight on her own if Shadows were to show up like Mitsuru would be able to.

"I realize that this is a big responsibility, but I believe you can handle it," Mitsuru answered with a nod.

Minako nodded her head slowly, "All right, I think I can handle it." Taking a look at the five there with her, "Okay, tonight I'll take Mitsuru-senpai, Akihiko-senpai, and Junpei with me. Yukari, you stay here and keep Fuuka company, all right?"

"Me?" Yukari asked, giving her a look that screamed, 'Are you sure you're not just saying that just so you can leave me behind?'

"Well…. I wouldn't really want to leave Junpei alone with her… if you know what I mean…" Minako whispered to Yukari so the Magician Arcana wouldn't overhear.

Yukari's face faltered a bit, "Right, I see what you mean. Good choice."

It seemed that bringing Mitsuru was the right choice. In fact, it was almost eerie with how perfect it seemed to be, having brought her along on those specific floors after the barrier. Every other Shadow they encountered there seemed to be weak against either Bufu or Zio. It was also amazing how the Student Body President seemed to have a skill that attacked all opponents at once.

"Mitsuru-senpai," Minako called after the recent battle had finished with another one of Mitsuru's multiple attacks. "What's that skill you're Persona is using that's attacking all the Shadows we face at once?"

"Yeah, Senpai," Junpei grinned, "That's really cool!"

The redheaded senior raised a brow, "I believe it's called 'Mabufu'," she answered.

"Mabufu…" Minako muttered, mulling it over in her head. "Ah, I see, 'ma' kinda like 'multiple' and 'bufu' for the ice spell."

"Do you think our Personas will get a skill like that eventually?" Akihiko mused aloud.

"I'd think so," Minako answered, "Maybe the more we use our Persona in battle, the stronger they get along with us, and in turn, the stronger abilities they can learn and use."

The others nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that sounds about right," Akihiko agreed.

Moving on and away from the topic, the four headed further into Tartrus, though they had to be mindful of Mitsuru. Though she seemed to be in great condition, it had been a while since she'd been in battle, not to mention the last time she'd been in battle was when she had been attacked along side Yukari on the last full moon. Minako didn't want to push her too hard on her first night back on the front lines. They made it up to the next floor when Fuuka alerted them that there was a guardian on the next floor up. Same as before, the group made their way up to the next floor after exploring and clearing out whatever Shadows were in their way.

Up on the next floor, the group found the elevator-type device and activated it before taking a peek around the corner to see what the guardians for the floor looked like. Minako glanced back at her team, "Do you guys thing you're up for it or do you want to head back?" she asked.

"I'm pretty beat, actually…" Junpei groaned, "I didn't think we'd go through all those floors that quickly."

A slight laugh slipped past Minako's lips then, "I suppose that's true, we are rushing a bit."

"We'll come back and deal with this next time," Mitsuru agreed, "We should head back and rest, the Dark Hour should be over soon, we wouldn't want to get stuck in here by staying too long."

"Right," Minako agreed with a nod. "Let's head back."

_(6/14) __SUNDAY_

That morning, Minako awoke lazily. It was still early this time as her eyes opened, awakened by the songs and chatter of the many birds perched in the trees outside the dorm. Figuring she'd spend enough lazy Sundays, the brunette decided to take a shower and get an early start on the day.

The shower had been quick, since halfway through rinsing the shampoo from her hair Yukari was knocking on the door asking if Minako minded hurrying up a bit so she could take a shower that morning as well. It was no problem, and Minako was out shortly after that, only taking the time to use the conditioner.

Back in her room as she dressed and dried her hair Minako's phone went off. Leaving the towel over her head, she took a seat on her bed and picked the cellphone off her night stand. Flipping it open, she pulled the receiver to her ear. "Hello, Minako speaking," she answered.

"Hello, this is Saori," the familiar kind voice called through the speaker, "I'm not bothering you, am I?"

"It's okay," Minako answered with a smile, "What's up?"

"If you're free, do you want to go somewhere?"

"I'd love to!" Minako replied enthusiastically.

"Oh, that makes my day," Saori laughed, "I'll see you later then. I'll wait for you outside the Iwatodai Strip Mall."

"All right, I'll hurry over there as soon as I can," the brunette replied.

After hanging up with Saori, Minako bounced around the room to gather her needed things. She pulled on her stockings and grabbed her boots on the way down after slinging her bag's strap over her shoulder. She used the couch in the first floor lounge to pull her shoes on before bounding out the door with a farewell to her teammates who were still lingering in the dorm on such a lovely Sunday.

"Saori!" Minako called, waving when she spotted her mature friend outside the strip mall. "I didn't make you wait too long, did I?"

Saori smiled, "No, not at all," she answered. "What shall we do today?"

"Anything's fine with me, Saori," Minako laughed.

The older of the two paused to think for a bit. "Have you eaten yet?"

Minako shook her head, "Have you?"

"No, not yet," Saori answered, "Why don't we stop by Wuck's for some food before doing some shopping or something?"

"Sure, sounds great!" Minako replied.

Heading into Wild-Duck Burger behind Saori, the two stepped into line, talking about what they should or shouldn't get for whatever reason. Saori ended up getting something Minako recommended, and Minako decided to try out something new that she'd been curious about since the time she came to Wuck with Junpei.

After getting their food, the two took their trays to an empty table and had a seat.

"I'm sorry to ask you out so sudden. I really wanted to try coming here," Saori confessed, fidgeting a bit in her seat and looking a bit embarrassed. "I snuck out," she admitted further, giggling a bit, "It was rather exciting. I came to places like these fairly often until about middle school. I'd study with my friends there before exams."

"Ah, that sounds fun," Minako commented as she pulled out a couple of fries from her bag before eating them one by one.

"Oh… Sorry, I didn't inconvenience you today, I hope?" Saori laughed a bit.

"Nope, not at all," Minako answered with a smile of her own.

"…Really?" Saori covered her mouth from another giggle. "Thanks. You're always so nice, Minako-chan. I'm glad we could talk like this."

"I'm glad, too," Minako replied, "Feel free to talk to me about anything, Saori. We're friends after all." Suddenly, the light bulb turned on in Minako's head. "Oh, that reminds me." She pulled her bag up on her lap and opened it up. Looking around for a second, the brunette found what she was looking for. Pulling out the knit rabbit she'd made in the fashion club with Bebe. It was in a little gift bag, tied closed with a bright red ribbon, Minako offered it to Saori. "Here, I want you to have this."

"Hm? For me?" Saori asked, looking rather surprised. "Can I open it?" At Minako's nod of approval, the older girl opened the present, soon pulling the little knit rabbit from it's place. "Wow… This is fantastic!" Saori complimented with a smile, "You made this, no? It's so cute… I adore this kind of thing. Thank you… I'll cherish it forever."

Her words brought a smile to Minako's face as a warm feeling spread inside her. "I'm glad you like it, Saori."

They took the time to finish their food before browsing about the Strip Mall. They stopped by the book store, tried some Takoyaki, and even got some sweets at the shop on the third floor. Sadly, their fun had to end eventually.

"I should get home before my parents find out I was gone for so long," Saori pointed out. "We should do this again some time, though."

"Yeah, today was a lot of fun," the brunette replied. "See you tomorrow at school."

"See you tomorrow," Saori called as she parted ways with Minako.

With little to nothing else to do, Minako leisurely made her way back to the dorm. Yukari was passing by towards the dining room when Minako returned. The other brunette smiled and waved at the leader of their group, "…Oh, hey," she greeted.

"Hey," Minako greeted back. Walking over to the group, she saw Ikutsuki seated in the armchair. "Oh, Hello Mr. Chairman."

The adult smiled at her, "Hello, Minako-chan. How are things with Fuuka on the team now?"

"So far so good," Minako answered, "She's a lot of help, I'm glad she decided to join us."

"Fuuka is surprisingly adept at using technological devices," Ikutsuki pointed out, "And she is a very nice girl, always considering the feelings of those around her. Her name suits her perfectly. 'Fuu' means wind, and 'ka' means flower." He sighed, a pleased look on his face, "She's like a flower gently blowing in the-"

He seemed to notice the completely creeped-out look on Minako's face and stopped his monologue. Minako was about ready to smack him over the head with her purse, outright call him a pedophile, and kick him out of the dorm and tell him to not come back.

"U-Um, never mind… I-I'll stop talking now."

"Um… Mitsuru-senpai, I'm gonna go head out to the mall. I don't think we should go to Tartrus tonight," Minako voiced as she backed away towards the door.

"All right, that's fine," Mitsuru answered.

Bolting out the door, Minako headed for Paulownia Mall. The stupid con man didn't seem to be in the area like he claimed he was when he took breaks, so Minako headed into Escapade to see if the Monk Mutatsu was there. She had to weave through a few people to get to the stairs, apparently it was a busy night, before she could even make her way up. Lucky for her, the old man was there, seated in the back corner of the upstairs lounge like he usually was. "Good evening, Mutatsu-san," she greeted as she hopped over to the couches.

The old man sneered, "I thought your face looked familiar… You here again, kid? Even Buddah's not that forgiving. All right, that's it. I'm gonna hand you over to the bouncer and…"

"What?" Minako complained, "I'm not even doing anything though."

Mutatsu sighed, "…Well, there's no Buddha in this world, so… All right, kid. Stop lookin' at me like that and sit down."

Minako smiled then, "Thank you!" She took a seat in the same spot she'd sat in the last time she'd been there.

"…So tell me, is it fun pesterin' an old monk like me whose own wife and kid left him?" Mutatsu shot before he took a swig of whatever that night's alcoholic beverage was. "…How come you're always along when I see ya? Don'tcha got any friends, kid?"

The brunette shrugged, "It's not like I don't," she answered. It was just that most of them liked to be home before dark, that was all.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Mutatsu lectured, "Either ya do or ya don't. Can't ya gimme a straight answer?" He took a drag of his cigar, irritated by Minako's vague answer to his question. "What's a 'friend' to you anyway?" he asked, smoke slipping out from between his lips as he spoke. "Where do you draw the line between 'friend' and 'not friend'?" He took a moment to blow the remaining smoke in him out of his lungs, watching it drift up towards the ceiling before dissipating. "Let's define a 'friend' as… someone you hold dear. True friendship is seen through the heart, kid, not the eyes… People always want somethin' in a relationship. They only really love themselves. You don't call someone who doesn't like you your friend, do ya? No, you don't…'cuz you know you wont get nothin' from 'em, right? Which means, in this world, there's no one you can hold dear." He paused to take a long drink from his glass, emptying it completely of everything except for the ice. "At the end of the lonely road of love, kid, you're the only one left standin' there."

Minako frowned at that. Some of what the Monk said was true, but she didn't think that such things should be said about love. Some people were like that, and only used others for their own gain, but there were others who truly cared for one another and supported one another because of it.

"But, you see those dames over there," Mutatsu continued, not even bothering to comment on the look on Minako's face, "The ones on the dance floor?"

The brunette took a moment to look over to where Mutatsu was indicating. There were three of them, two brunettes and one with bleached blonde hair. They were dressed in skimpy outfits and were centered in the middle of the dance floor. They were bumping and grinding with one another, taunting the surrounding men with their exposed skin, flashy make up, and alluring eyes.

Just a bunk of cheep skanks who would sell themselves at the right price.

"If you can bring one of 'em over here, I'll be your friend in retunr. Eh? Whaddya think?" He grinned, a chuckled to his voice.

Minako frowned, "I think it's about time for me to head home…. And you too." Clearly he was drinking too much if he thought he was going to get one of them to leave with him without coughing up some sort of payment.

"…Your eyelids're startin' ta droop," the monk pointed out. "Go home for now, kid. You're gonna come back again anyway even if I tell you not to, right?"

Minako laughed a bit, "Y-Yeah… okay, I'll see you next time then."

_(6/15) __MONDAY_

"Mornin'!"

Minako turned around in front of the school gates to see Yukari jogging up. The brunette smiled, "Good morning, Yukari," she answered.

The two of them started walking towards the front doors of the school then. "So I guess it's true that fewer cases of Apathy Syndrome occurred after each of our missions. But then, that changes again as we get closer to the next full moon…By the way, what do you think of Mitsuru-senpai..?"

"Uh…" Minako paused, unsure how she was supposed to answer that question.

"Don't you think she sort of pushed Fuuka into joining?" Yukari interjected before Minako to say anything more. "I know it's nice to have her around, especially in battle, but…. It just feels wrong…"

"I'm sure it's fine, Yukari," Minako insisted. "I mean, I'm sure Fuuka would confide in one of us if there really was a problem like that."

"Yeah… I know what you mean…" Yukari answered.

Sadly, Minako got the feeling that Yukari wouldn't let it go. She didn't seem to like Mitsuru much at all though the girl wouldn't admit to it. With a sigh, Minako changed the subject to the homework that was due that morning in their first class.

Classes seemed to pass quickly, Minako took notes well up till lunch. She ran into Hidetoshi during lunch, but the only thing he seemed to want to talk about was any leads on catching the person who'd been smoking in the boy's bathroom. Only the afternoon class seemed to really stick in her head. Ms. Toriumi was always a good teacher, Minako liked her lectures.

"Our language can be very complex…" the teacher lectured, looking about the room at all the students as she spoke. "Now then…Junpei's looking shifty, so how about you, Minako?"

Minako jumped a bit at her name suddenly being called before she stood, "Yes, Ms. Toriumi?"

"Fill in the blank with the appropriate conjunction: 'It rained all last week, blank, it'll rain again today'." Ms. Toriumi read the line aloud as she wrote it on the board for Minako to see just in case it was a bit confusing just from the verbal alone."

Minako read the board once to make sure she had heard the teacher correctly in her verbal statement. "And…" she answered, "It rained all last week, and it'll rain again today."

"That's absolutely correct!" Ms. Toriumi praised, "You'd make a great composition teacher someday, Minako. You wouldn't use 'but' to compare two situations that are identical, and 'probably' isnt a conjunction. So 'and' is the way to go."

Minako approached Junpei after class, he was more boasting to himself when Minako arrived, musing aloud about the team. "With the new addition to the team, there are more girls now. Yukari, Fuuka, Minako, and Mitsuru-senpai… It's paradise!" he chirped happily, a big grin across his face.

The brunette recoiled dramatically, "Th-that face…"

Junpei laughed, "It's just the face of a healthy, red-blooded teenager!" he insisted.

"It's the face of a pervert," Minako teased.

"Aw, come on, Minako, don't be like that," Junpei retorted, his grin faltering a bit, "You're starting to sound like Yukari."

Minako was the one to laugh then, "I'm just teasing you, Junpei."

Then the grin was back full force, and the ball-capped student was slinging an arm over Minako's shoulders. "If you're really just teasing then you wont mind hanging out with me today. We can go to the manga café."

"As much as I'd love to, Junpei, I have to go to Student Council today," Minako replied, "I ran into Hidetoshi-kun in the hall during lunch and kind of promised I'd attend today."

Junpei groaned then, "awwww man… Just my luck."

"Next time for sure, Junpei," Minako promised as she ducked away from his arm over her shoulders. Waving bye to him, she snatched her bag up from her desk and headed out of the classroom and across the hall to the Student Council room.

The time seemed to fly by in the student council room as they discussed various topics for upcoming events and problems in the school. Minako didn't seem to notice there was someone missing, but Mitsuru sure seemed to. "Is Odagiri absent today?" the student body president questioned.

"Um…no…" Chihiro answered shyly, fidgeting behind her papers, "I think he's busy…"

"Busy doing what?" Mitsuru pressed.

"…Busy playing private **DICK**," one of the other student council members retorted rather rudely.

"Oh… you mean what Fushimi was telling me about earlier," Mitsuru mused, "I see…" She sighed, looking off towards the empty seat he was normally in. "Well, his intentions are good, so you cant blame him. But, I understand how you feel…" She turned her attention to Minako then with an apologetic look, "You can go if you'd like, I don't mind. Sorry for the drama."

With a nod, Minako excused herself from the room, leaving before a few of the others. She'd been on her way out, passing through the first floor hallway when she overhead a commotion. Someone was yelling, and there was a slight crowd gathered in the middle of the hall.

"So where's your EVIDENCE smart guy!" an angered student was yelling.

"There's no need for evidence, I know all about you." Hidetoshi's voice could be easily picked out from the group, and the boy's face came into view as Minako squeezed her way through the group of bystanders to the front. "You were arrested for beating up a guy in the park who snitched on you, right?"

Hidetoshi approached the student, looking rather confident as he accused the student.

"Whoa! He's at it **AGAIN**!" one of the female students sighed, "That's the third person today he's accused…"

The girl next to her laughed, covering her mouth with a hand, "My boyfriend was so pissed he was accused, too. This guy's asking for it."

The other bystanders just stood there, watching it all go down. No one was backing either student up, or trying to get them to break it up.

Hidetoshi didn't seem to mind, in fact, he seemed to ignore the fact that anyone else was there all together. "Keeping quiet will do you no good," he pointed out smugly, "…If it's not you, then give me some names. Don't worry. I wont tell anyone. You have my word as a member of the Disciplinary Committee."

"Shut up, asshole…" the punk spat. He clenched his fist, his face contorted in a glare that dared Hidetoshi to take another step forward to give him the cue to rip that smug look off Hidetoshi's face.

"Wait a second –" Minako began, stepping forward to try and stop the whole mess before things got worse. Unfortunately, Minako was a second too late. The punk decided not to wait, and all Minako managed to do was distract Hidetoshi for that split second before he was slugged hard across the face. He lost his balance and fell back, landing on his butt.

Scoffing, the punk turned and stalked off, grumbling a line of curses under his breath about Hidetoshi. With all the commotion over, the crowd of onlookers then dispersed, each leaving to their own activities.

Minako took those few steps over to crouch next to Hidetoshi, who was rubbing the cheek that had been punched, the skin there turning red from the abuse. "Hidetoshi-kun, are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

Hidetoshi was glaring at the retreating figure of the punk's back at the end of the hall, "Tch…! Don't think I'll just let that go!" he called after. It seemed only then that he noticed that it was Minako who was there. "Minako-kun…" the surprised slowly slipped away form his face, "You look like you want to say something…"

Minako wanted to say he was over doing things, and at that rate, all he would succeed in doing is pissing everybody off and getting the shit beat out of him in return. But she didn't want to upset him – he was probably already upset about getting slugged like that. "Working hard, huh?" she said with a half-hearted laugh.

"…Of course," Hidetoshi answered with a grin. He seemed satisfied with her words, which made Minako happy that she hadnt said the first thing that had come to mind. "If we let people get away with breaking the rules, things will only get worse. One day, it'll spiral out of control, and there will be nothing we can do. So, we should deal with the problem now, while we still can."

"I see…" Minako murmured, nodding her head slowly. It made sense, yes, but that didn't change the fact that she felt he was taking things a little too far.

"…I know what people think of me," Hidetoshi began again, catching her eye when Minako looked up from her thoughts. "But those who carry out justice have always clashed with others. History has proven this to me. So, let this serve as a warning to other offenders. Minako-kun, you're a sensible person… you understand, right?"

Minako nodded her head yet again, " Yeah, I understand, Hidetoshi-kun."

Hidetoshi rubbed his sore cheek once more before shaking it off, "I'm gonna get back to business. You should go home before it gets dark."

"All right, be careful," Minako agreed, "And let me know if you need help with anything, okay?"

The head of the disciplinary committee grinned at that, crossing his arms over his chest. "Good to know I can count on someone. Be safe on your way home, Minako-kun."

"I will," the brunette smiled, "I'll see you next time."

When Minako returned to the dorm that night, she ran into Akihiko, just returning from a jog it seemed. "Oh, hi, Senpai," Minako greeted with a smile as she reached for the doorknob to the front doors of the dorm. "Out for a run?"

"Yeah, just thought I'd get a bit more exercise tonight," he replied. He took a moment to wipe his face with the towel hanging around his neck before following Minako inside. "Let's go to Tartrus tonight," he suggested as the front door shut behind him. "I know the next full moon is still a ways away, but the Shadows are getting stronger. Besides, I need to train Polydeuces. So, whaddya say?"

"Sure, that sounds good," Minako answered, "I'll let Fuuka and the others know."

"Great," Akihiko replied with a smile. He turned to walk off towards the stairs then, most likely headed up to take a shower before they had to get ready to go to Tartrus.

Minako took a few steps after him, "Um, Senpai?" she called hesitantly.

Akihiko paused, turning a bit to look back at her over his shoulder, "Hm?"

"Um… Do you think tomorrow you can help me return the handkerchief to Shinjiro-senpai?"

A chuckle left Akihiko at that, seeing how Minako squirmed a bit when asking. "Sure, tomorrow after school," he agreed.

Minako was smiling then, "Thank you, Akihiko-senpai."

Akihiko turned and walked off then, headed for that shower he probably wanted. As soon as he'd dissappeared upstairs, Minako turned and trotted over to where the others were seated on the couches, approaching Fuuka from behind. The brunette leaned over the back of the couch, glancing briefly at what her teammate was doing on her computer. "Hey, Fuuka, Akihiko-senpai and I want to go to Tartrus tonight, is that okay with everyone else?"

Fuuka jumped a bit at Minako's sudden appearance, "Oh, Minako-san. Yes, that's fine, everyone's okay to go tonight."

"All right, great!" Minako grinned, "Sorry if I startled you."

"That's all right," Fuuka giggled, "You didn't scare me that badly."

Later that night the group gathered in Tartrus, all prepared to journey further into the strange tower. Of course, before Minako took the same team from the other night up to deal with the guardian, she decided to stop by the Velvet room for a moment to pay Theodore a visit.

Oh, and Igor, too.

Theodore was delightful to see her as always, and Minako was more than happy to see him. She registered her persona in the compendium as well as looked over his list of requests. There were a few new ones, so Minako was more than happy to promise a few of them within the next few days.

"Protein not for pros…?" she muttered.

"I believe your best chance to obtain it would be tomorrow," Theodore explained.

Minako smiled, "Oh, all right, I can get that then. I know just who to ask."

"Wonderful," Theodore said with a slight smile curling his lips. "I look forward to seeing it."

The brunette nodded, "Well, in the mean time, I need to get going. We've got some more exploring to do in Tartrus tonight, and only an hour to spend."

"I look forward to your next visit."

Aside from the pesky guardian fight, the rest of Tartrus seemed fairly easy like always. Of course, the Shadows were getting tougher the higher up they went, but that was only to be expected. The guardians were always the most challenging though. They were persistent, strong, and were a lot more trouble than the other challenges that Tartrus posed to S.E.E.S. Quite a few times they had to go on the defensive, or have one person designated to just healing. Not even Fuuka's helpful analysis seemed to work on the Guardians. Thankfully, Minako seemed to have good luck when it came to guessing what worked best on the guardians.

By the end of the night, the group was tired and more than ready to crawl into bed and get some sleep. They all regrouped at the bottom floor of Tartrus, gathered their things left below and what all they found that night in the strange suitcases that lay about the floors at random, and made their way back to the dorm. On the way back, Junpei was begging Yukari to help him with his homework before class later that day. The only reason he refrained from saying 'copy' was because Mitsuru was right there, and would have gladly lopped his head off in punishment for doing something like that.

Well, figuratively speaking, that was.

_(6/16) __TUESDAY_

The next morning, Minako was greeted by Mitsuru as she approached the front doors of the school. "Oh, Arisato," the student body president called out to her, walking over while the brunette was paused. "I have something to tell you…"

"Oh, okay," Minako replied, her eyes on her senpai, "What is it?"

"From now on, you'll be able to go to Tartarus without me."

"Why is that?" Minako asked.

"Because Yamagishi can provide support," Mitsuru explained, "If she is present, you can go to Tartrus."

The brunette nodded her head then, "All right, I got it."

"But," Mitsuru began again, "if neither Akihiko nor myself is present, I told her to not let you go. I'm worried something may happen… So, please keep that in mind."

"All right, understood," Minako replied.

The rest of the day passed rather slowly, Minako found herself spacing out. Her mind drifted over various subjects as her hand moved the pencil across her paper, drawing numerous unnecessary drawings all over her notes. She chatted with Junpei during lunch, and said hello to Saori and Hidetoshi when she ran into them while on her way to get some food.

"Senpai!" Minako called as she spotted the silver-haired boxer on his way past the shoe lockers after school.

Said male paused at his shoe locker, glancing over his shoulder. When he saw it was Minako he turned, facing her fully. "What do you need, Minako?" Akihiko asked as the brunette slowed to a stop in front of him.

Minako took a moment to catch her breath before clearing her throat. "You said you'd help me find Shinjiro-senpai today so I could return his handkerchief," Minako reminded, "You didn't forget, did you?"

Akihiko looked surprised for a split second. A light tint came to his own cheeks and he coughed. "No, of course not. I was going to wait for you by the gate anyway." He opened his shoe locker, ignoring what love letters and gifts were laying inside as he pulled out his shoes.

As Akihiko put on his shoes, Minako headed over to her own shoe locker to do the same. "Do you have any idea where he might be, Akihiko-senpai?" she asked as she traded out her shoes.

"Yeah, I've got a pretty good idea," he replied.

Twenty minuets later they were crossing the street over to the Iwatodai strip mall. Minako gave Akihiko a curious look before the boxer lead the way up the stairs to the third floor. It was just as they were approaching Hagakure that their target immerged from within. He looked a tad surprised to see the two there, their eyes on him when he noticed their presence. "Aki? What are you doing here?"

"We came here to find you," Akihiko replied. He inclined his head towards Minako, who was pulling the folded handkerchief out of her school bag. "She wanted to thank you for before."

Before Shinjiro could open his mouth to utter any words of protest or commentary, Minako was only a step or two away from him, holding out his handkerchief to him. It was cleaned, ironed, and folded, like it had never been used before.

"I wanted to return this. Thank you very much for helping me before, I really appreciate it," Minako said, a smile on her lips.

Her senpai seemed a bit speechless, which only seemed to amuse Akihiko. Shooting a glare at his childhood friend, Shinjiro took the handkerchief from her and stuffed it in his coat pocket, all the while saying, "You didnt have to return it to me, and you dont have to thank me."

"I still have to think of a way to repay you," Minako chirped cheerfully.

"Didn't you hear what I just said?" Shinjiro groweld.

Minako shook her head, "It's not that I didnt hear you, Senpai, but if I dont repay you for saving me, then what kind of person would that make me? It wouldnt feel right to not thank you in some way."

A cell phone chimed to life and Minako jumped. She was suddenly scrambling through her bag to pull out the little device. Flipping it up she pulled it to her ear, the little charms hanging from it bumping against the back of her hand as they swung back and forth. "Hello?" there was silence a moment as she listened to the person on the other end. Suddenly her eyes grew wide, "Oh shoot! I forgot! I'm sorry, I'll head back right away. Sorry, Saori-chan. All right, yeah, bye."

After stuffing the cellphone back in her bag she gave a brief bow to both her Senpai in apology, "Sorry! I forgot I'm supposed to help out at the library today, I've gotta run!" Without waiting a second more, Minako ran down the stairs, across the street, and to the station.

As soon as the monorail had stopped at Port Island Station, Minako bolted out and away from the station. She dodged past people, and later, other students as she approached the school. By the time she stopped, she was in front of the library. Saori opened the door at that moment, as if knowing Minako was there.

Saori looked surprised a moment, but soon smiled, "Well, I didn't think you'd get here _that_ fast, Minako-chan. "Why don't you go put your things down and I'll get you some water? I was just headed to get myself something to drink too, you can watch the counter while I'm gone, yes?"

"Sounds like a plan," Minako panted, stepping aside so Saori could pass as she tried to catch her breath. After Saori had gone off to get the drinks, Minako headed inside and dropped her bag off behind the counter by Saori's. While waiting for her friend to return, the brunette took care of checking out and returning books at the counter. There wasn't all that much to do, thankfully, the library seemed pretty dead that day.

A while later, Saori returned with the drinks, and they began chatting quietly as they worked their duties. "That reminds me," Saori began, " I heard that the library committee wants to put together a school newsletter."

"A newsletter? Really?" Minako questioned curiously.

Saori nodded her head, "It'll be about things like how to take care of your books, and reminders to return them before they're overdue…At least that's what I heard is going to go in it."

Minako frowned. If the newsletter was going to just have that, it wouldn't get very popular. Students would be less likely to read it if there wasn't anything in there that interested them. "We should make it fun to read," Minako suggested.

"Yeah, I agree," Saori replied with a smile. "That's why Ms. Ounishi said she was going to look into other things that students would be interested in. But it's far more likely that the ones who have to do the actual writing will be…"

Before Saori could finish her sentence, the door to the library opened. Some girl in too much make up came running in, not even bothering to look around the room before opening her mouth. "Saori, you here!"

"Huh…?" Saori turned away from Minako then, looking over towards the girl who had called for her. "Yes? Can I help you?"

Suddenly it became obvious just how pissed off the gaudy female student was, "You can help me kick your ass!" She stormed over, a glare set on her face as she approached where Minako and Saori stood. "Who the hell do you think you are! Keep your hands off my boyfriend!"

Saori suddenly looked confused, "Boyfriend?"

"Don't play dumb with me!" the girl snapped back, "You left school together, and even went out to karaoke! He told me all about it!"

Minako didn't like where this was going. Karaoke, now why did that sound familiar…?

"Karaoke…?" Saori echoed, "Oh, you mean Takaoka-kun?"

"…You skank!" the girl shreiked, "You're the one who asked him out!"

The brunette clenched her fists from where she stood beside Saori. Yeah, Minako had thought the guy was acting funny when he'd asked Saori out. She didn't like this one bit – that guy was seriously going to get a piece of her mind if she ever saw him again, that was for sure.

Saori looked like she was at a loss for words, "Huh? But he's the one—"

"Ma-kun told me all about it!" the gaudy girl protested, not even bothering to hear Saori out. She was convinced that Saori would only lie about it – unlike her supposedly honest boyfriend. "He said you seduced him!"

"Me…?" Saori shook her head. She didn't understand where all this was coming from.

Of course, that was because Saori had thought they were just going to Karaoke without any strings attached, right? Well that's what Minako would like to assume, but she could get the details later.

"Don't give me that shit!" Without warning, the gaudy student took those few remaining steps and slapped her hand hard across Saori's face.

"Eek.." Saori cried, surprised. She lifted a hand to her reddening cheek.

"You so much as say hello to my man again… you're goin' down," the other girl threatened.

And that was the point where Minako would stand watching no more. The brunette stepped forward, a glare on her own face. "How dare you hit her! You're going down right now!" she challenged. Minako wasn't the kind of person to just stand by and watch her friend get hurt because of a misunderstanding without taking any kind of action.

"N-No, it's okay!" Saori protested, grabbing Minako's sleeve.

"Seriously…" the Gaudy student spat, "Keep to yourself, bitch."

"You want to make this personal?" Minako retorted, "Because you're doing a damn good job of it right now."

"Tch." Turning away as if she had better things to waste her worthless time on, the girl left the library. The few students in the library who hadn't left during the drama kept their distance from Saori and Minako and looked away.

"Oh…" Saori looked around the room at all the other students, "I'm sorry for the commotion…"

Suddenly, the rest of the students who had been in the library gathered their things and left quickly.

Saori watched them go for a moment before turning to Minako then, who still looked irritated by everything that had just happened. "I'm sorry you had to see that…" Saori apologized.

"What are you apologizing for?" Minako protested, "It's that bastard's fault! He's lying to that bitch so she'll go after you!"

Saori tried to smile, pulling her hand away from her red cheek. "…That girl just believes in Takaoka-kun. It cant be helped…" She shook her head, sighing a bit, "I… did have some ulterior motive of my own, after all. I thought it'd be nice to have a guy friend around my own age…"

Minako was quiet a moment, thinking about the way Saori had phrased what she'd just said. The way she was hearing it, Saori wasn't so much as looking for a boyfriend, as she was looking for a friend of the opposite gender in general. "Did you like Takaoka-kun?" Minako asked hesitantly.

The elder girl shook her head, "…No, unfortunately." Saori smiled weakly, her eyes shining with tears, "…I have someone I like. But it'll never work out, and I cant do anything about it."

Minako blinked, confused, "Why cant it work?"

"Ah-heh…" Saori's eyes softened, her smile growing a bit more in size, "I've never mentioned it to anyone else before…It's nice to be able to talk about it…I could never tell anyone…"

Minako got the feeling that she wasn't going to hear everything about it, so rather than press for more information, she was just glad that Saori was sharing as much as she was with her to begin with. "All right…"

"It's almost time to stop today…" Saori said, changing the subject, "I doubt any more people will come…Let's go home."

"Sure," the brunette answered, a smile on her face.

The two of them worked on closing up the library, making sure the books were put away and scanned into the system. They stacked all the chairs on the tables and then grabbed their things. They walked all the way to Iwatodai station together, talking about guys and what they liked to find in the ones they liked. Giggling and joking, they spent time together. The ride on the monorail passed quickly, and they were soon getting off and going their separate ways.

"But seriously, Saori?" Minako called after her friend, "If that jerk-girl gives you any more trouble, just tell me and I'll help you out!" Whether it be protecting her or just comforting her, Minako wasn't going to stand by if some bitch was going to give her friend grief.

Saori smiled, "Thank you, Minako-chan, I'll remember that."


End file.
